The Beauty & Personal Care Brand Builder Series

Ingredient Deep Dive

Cellulose Gum

The Beauty & Personal Care Brand Builder Series

Ingredient Deep Dive

Cellulose Gum

The Cellulose-Derived Thickener

Cellulose Gum (sodium carboxymethylcellulose, or CMC) is a plant-cellulose-derived polymer used as a reliable thickener, binder and stabilizer.

It builds smooth viscosity, binds and suspends ingredients, and stabilizes emulsions — a workhorse texture tool derived from renewable cellulose.

Quick Insights

Ingredient Rating:

GOOD

Type of Ingredient:

Texture Enhancer

Intended Function:

A cellulose-derived polymer (CMC) used as a thickener, binder, suspending agent and stabilizer.

Common Applications:

Used in moisturizers, creams and lotions and treatment formulas.

Target Audience:

Formulators needing a dependable plant-derived thickener and stabilizer.

Also Known As:

Cellulose Gum, Sodium Carboxymethylcellulose, Carboxymethyl Cellulose, CMC

Private Label Formulas

🇺🇸 MADE IN USA | 🚀 READY TO LAUNCH

Pet Waterless Shampoo (Rinseless Shampoo)

Benefits of Cellulose Gum

A cellulose-derived polymer that thickens, binds and stabilizes with a smooth feel.

Smooth Thickening: Builds elegant, non-tacky viscosity in gels, creams and pastes.
Binder: Helps hold formulas and pressed products together.
Suspending & Stabilizing: Keeps particles and emulsions evenly dispersed.
Plant-Derived: Made from renewable cellulose.
Versatile: Suits skincare, toothpaste, hair and body formats.

How It Works

Cellulose Gum is a modified cellulose whose water-loving carboxymethyl groups make its long chains swell and entangle in water, raising viscosity and structuring the formula; the same network suspends particles and stabilizes emulsions against separation.

Formulating with Cellulose Gum

Cellulose Gum is dispersed into water and hydrated with mixing, used at low levels as a thickener, binder or stabilizer. It is compatible across a broad pH range. Observe good manufacturing and preservation practice.

Safety Analysis

Cellulose Gum is well tolerated with a strong record of safe cosmetic use. As always, substantiate the finished product’s safety (e.g. patch / HRIPT testing) in line with MoCRA requirements.

References

https://incidecoder.com/ingredients/cellulose-gum

https://cosmeticsinfo.org/ingredient/cellulose-gum/

https://cosmeticanalysis.com/cosmetic-ingredients/cellulose-gum

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