Balancing Act: The Role of Thickeners and Gums in Natural Beauty & Haircare Products

In the last decade, we’ve seen a surge in natural beauty products that promote clean, effective results without harmful ingredients.

Achieving the perfect consistency and performance in these products requires a delicate balance of natural and man-made ingredients. This is where thickeners and gums come into play. Let’s explore the role of these essential components in natural beauty and haircare products, their benefits, and how these ingredients align with the promise of clean beauty.

What Are Thickeners and Gums?

Thickeners and gums are ingredients used in cosmetic formulations to adjust the viscosity, stability, and texture of products. They help achieve the right consistency, ensuring that lotions are not too runny, creams are rich and luxurious, and shampoos and conditioners have the perfect spreadability.

Natural Thickeners We Use

1. Xanthan Gum: Derived from fermentation, xanthan gum is a staple in many of our formulations, such as the Nourishing Face & Body Balm. It helps stabilise emulsions and provides a smooth, thick texture, ensuring that products feel luxurious without being heavy or sticky.
2. Kaolin Clay: Found in our Organic Dry Shampoo, kaolin clay is a natural thickener that helps absorb excess oil or in our case for the dry shampoo, moisture and provides texture and volume to hair. It also aids in maintaining product stability, especially in dry formulations.
3. Cellulose: Used in our Organic Voluminous Sea Salt Spray, cellulose provides a lightweight thickening effect without compromising the clean beauty standards we adhere to.

Demystifying Man-Made Thickeners: Polyquaternium Explained

While natural thickeners are a great choice, they can sometimes lack the stability or performance required for certain formulations like Polyquaternium-7.

What is Polyquaternium? Polyquaternium is a family of ingredients used widely in hair care products for their conditioning and film-forming properties. They help improve hair manageability, reduce static, and provide a smooth, silky feel.

Origin and Safety: Polyquaterniums are man-made but derived from natural components such as cellulose, making them effective yet safe. 

Usage in Formulations: Polyquaterniums are generally used at low concentrations, typically between 0.1% to 2%, depending on the product. For example, in hair conditioners and shampoos, they may be used at around 0.5% to 1.5% to provide optimal conditioning benefits without causing buildup.

Environmental Impact: While Polyquaterniums are man made, they are biodegradable and do not persist in the environment as some older cationic polymers did. This makes them a better choice in terms of environmental impact compared to other non-degradable synthetic polymers.

Natural vs. Man Made: The Pros and Cons

• Natural Thickeners: Generally derived from plant sources, they are biodegradable and eco-friendly. They are great for enhancing texture and stability in products but may not always provide the same level of performance in terms of hold or long-term stability.
• Man Made Thickeners: These offer consistent performance, enhanced stability, and specific textural benefits that are sometimes hard to achieve with natural alternatives alone. While they are not classified as natural, the prefered man made thickeners in natural products come from natural precursors and they are safe and effective.

You might wonder why it's not called natural if it’s naturally derived or made from naturally derived ingredients. 

The distinction lies in the degree of processing. While natural and naturally derived ingredients originate from nature, they undergo various processes to enhance their stability, safety, and efficacy for use in cosmetic products. This transformation means they no longer meet the strict definition of "natural" as recognised by regulatory bodies or consumer standards and I am happy to say that Australia has some of the strictest standards in the world. 

Combining the Best of Both Worlds

Thickeners and gums play a crucial role in creating high-quality natural beauty and personal care products. We believe in creating products that deliver on performance while staying true to our clean beauty principles. This means we meticulously select thickeners that not only enhance our products' effectiveness but also align with our ethical standards of being clean, cruelty-free, vegan, and environmentally conscious.