CELLULOSE
Cellulose is a natural polysaccharide made of glucose units. It is the main structural component of plant cell walls and can be obtained from plant-derived fibres. On an ingredient list, CELLULOSE identifies cellulose itself, rather than a plant extract intended to provide skin care.
CELLULOSE: what it is
Cellulose is a natural polysaccharide made of glucose units. It is the main structural component of plant cell walls and can be obtained from plant-derived fibres. On an ingredient list, CELLULOSE identifies cellulose itself, rather than a plant extract intended to provide skin care.
The raw material may come from different plant fibres, so the name alone does not identify which plant was used in a product. It is also different from modified derivatives such as cellulose acetate or carboxymethyl cellulose, which have their own names because chemical changes give them different behaviour in a formula.
CELLULOSE: what it does in cosmetics
In cosmetics, cellulose can take up part of the liquid phase, add bulk and make a preparation less transparent. In powders, masks or thicker products, these properties can help set the body, appearance and distribution of the product during use, without adding a treatment effect on their own.
It can also control viscosity, helping a formula avoid becoming too runny or uneven. This role concerns texture and how the product leaves its package and spreads; cellulose on an ingredient list does not by itself demonstrate moisturising, anti-ageing, brightening or another specific effect on skin or hair.
Products containing this ingredient
See which products include it and the name used in each composition.
