MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE
Microcrystalline cellulose is the finely divided crystalline portion of cellulose fibres. It is not an intact plant fibre: partial depolymerisation concentrates the more crystalline regions of the material. The result is usually an odourless powder used when a formula needs physical structure without adding an oily ingredient.
MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE: what it is
Microcrystalline cellulose is the finely divided crystalline portion of cellulose fibres. It is not an intact plant fibre: partial depolymerisation concentrates the more crystalline regions of the material. The result is usually an odourless powder used when a formula needs physical structure without adding an oily ingredient.
The cellulose used to make it commonly comes from wood pulp or cotton linters, although studies also describe production from other plant fibres. Microcrystalline cellulose and ordinary cellulose therefore belong to the same material family, but the former is a processed, purified fraction rather than a plant extract. An ingredient list alone does not identify the plant feedstock selected for a particular product.
MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE: what it does in cosmetics
In cosmetics, microcrystalline cellulose can add bulk to powders, help limit clumping and make a preparation less transparent. When it is used as an abrasive, its contribution is physical: the particles take part in the texture of products designed for rubbing, rather than acting as a skin-treating active.
In colloidal dispersions, it can also retain water and help keep particles suspended. In creams and pastes, that behaviour can support a more even mixture and help control thickness. These roles concern the preparation's stability, appearance and feel; they do not by themselves show that isolated microcrystalline cellulose moisturises, repairs or treats a skin condition.
Products containing this ingredient
See which products include it and the name used in each composition.
