Gums in cosmetic products: what uses?

Gums are macromolecules (large molecules), which are also called polymers because they will be made up of several monomers. Monomers are subunits, they can be amino acids in the case of proteins, nucleotides for DNA, and so on. In the erasers, monomers are oses, or monosaccharides, which constitute simple sugars. But yes, you know them, for example we have glucose and fructose! When we have a sequence of several monosaccharides, as is the case in gums, we do not actually obtain nothing but… Polysaccharides, and yes !

The main benefit of gums in cosmetic products is the texture they will give it. They are called texturing agents, or viscosity agents. Due to their conformation, they will deploy to form a 3-dimensional network with a high capacity for retaining water or any other solvent. This is how they will form the famous gel. By increasing the viscosity of the product, they will also reduce the mobility of the product. Thus, all gums are soluble in water, at temperatures which may vary.

• Gelling : they make the mixture more viscous and reduce their mobility.

• Stabilizers : they participate in the stabilization of the emulsion, they are also called co-emulsifiers. They also make it possible to maintain the homogeneous appearance of the mixture.

• Thickeners : they give body to the texture.

• Membership Agent : they strengthen the adhesion capacity of fats.

• Skin care agent : they are emollient, they soften and soften the skin.

Some gums are extracted from plant parts such as legume seeds or tubers. Both serve as a reserve for the plant, which is why they are rich in polysaccharides. Legume seeds are generally rich in galactomannans, a polymer of galactose and mannose as its name suggests. This reserve is used by the embryo during germination, and is located in the endosperm. It is therefore this part which is extracted to obtain the gum!

INCI : Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (guar) gum

Origin : Guar Gum is obtained by grinding the seeds of Cyamopsis tetragonolobus, a legume native to India.

Solubility and stability : Soluble in water at room temperature, relatively unstable at acidic pH.

Composition : Galactomannans

Properties :

• Gelling agent
• Thickening
• Emulsion stabilizer
• Skin and hair care agent

INCI : Caesalpinia spinosa gum

Solubility and stability : Better dispersion at 40°C, stable over a wide pH range 

Composition : Galactomannans

• thickening
• skin and hair care agent: it is a conditioner and humectant, and also a film-forming agent

Dosage : 0,8 à 1 %

INCI : Amorphophallus konjac

Origin : Extracted from tubers ofAmorphophallus Konjac

Solubility and stability : Thermoreversible, but can be added cold to the aqueous phase

Composition : Glucomannans, polymer of mannose and glucose

Properties :

• Gelling agent
• Skin and hair care agent: moisturizing, softening and smoothing

Dosage : 0,25 à 1 %

Gums can also be of marine origin, from algae. Well, we grant you, in this case they are generally more qualified as gelling agents, but the properties are very similar. We therefore often consider them as erasers! They mainly come from 2 different families of algae: brown algae and red algae. Among the browns, the most famous are alginates. In the red family, I would like… the famous Agar Agar, and carrageenans.

INCI :Algin

Origin : Alginates are present at the cell wall of brown algae, type Fucaceae, Laminariaceae and Macrocystis. Sodium alginate is mainly used in cosmetics. It is extracted by successive washing of the algae in acidic and basic solutions in order to separate them from the other components.

Solubility and stability : They dissolve well in water but are not thermoreversible: heat does not allow them to become liquid again.

Composition : Mannuronic acid and guluronic acid

Properties :

• Water thickener
• Gelling agent
• Emulsifier
• Stabilizing

INCI :Agar

Origin : Agar Agar is part of the composition of the cell wall of 2 large families of red algae: Gelidiaceae and Gracilariaceae. Their mucilage is extracted hot, purified, then dehydrated and ground to obtain powder.

Solubility and stability : Soluble in water at 85°C and gels poorly in acidic environments

Composition : Agarose and agaropectin polymer

Property : Very gelling, from only 0.1%

Dosage : 0,1 à 3 %.

INCI : Chondrus crispus extract

Origin : Carrageenans were originally extracted from Chondrus crispus, but are today rather extracted from Kappaphycus alvarezii and Euchema denticulatum, all red algae. There are different types but the best known are carrageenans k (kappa) which form fairly rigid gels, and i (iota) and l (lambda) which form rather flexible gels.

Solubility and stability : In hot water at approximately 70°C, thermoreversible.

Properties :

• Gelling even when hot, up to 60°C
• Thickening
• Skin and hair care agent (they are often called “vegetable silicone”!)

Gums can come from trees. They are produced naturally and are generally recovered by incision in the trunk. Basically, they are used to seal wounds. Viscous at the exit from the trunk, they harden quickly on contact with air and are then harvested.

INCI : acacia senegal gum

Origin : Exudate ofAcacia senegal, a tree native to Africa

Solubility and stability : Better solubility in hot water

Properties :

• Skin care agent: at low concentration, it forms a sort of network on the surface of the skin which provides a tightening and lifting effect when it retracts.
• Adhesion agent: it has very good adhesion capacity on hydrophobic surfaces
• Emulsion stabilizer

Dosage : 1 to 3% as “tensor” active ingredient, 1 to 25% as adhesion agent and co-emulsifier

INCI : Astragalus gummifer gum

Origin : Exudate ofAstragalus gummifer, a small tree native to the Middle East

Solubility and stability : Better solubility in hot water, stable over a wide pH range

Properties :

• Gelling agent, especially in acidic environments
• Thickening

Dosage : 1 à 4 %

The best-known and most used gum in cosmetics comes from... a microorganism. Berk you tell me! But no, some micro-organisms are harmless to humans, and even have advantages. By fermentation, they allow the transformation of sugars into rather interesting products. This is what happens to bread or beer for example, and this is also what happens to certain gums!

Origin : Produced by fermentation of beet, cane or corn sugar by bacteria Xanthomonnas campestris, from which it takes its name.

Solubility and stability : Better solubility in hot water

Properties :

• Gelling agent
• Low concentration emulsion stabilizer.

Dosage : 0,1 à 0,3%