Xanthan Gum on Labels: What It Is and What It Does
Arin Editorial · how this is made
Creams, lotions, masks, toothpaste... Xanthan gum is one of the names you see most often on ingredient labels. This substance is a polysaccharide obtained by fermenting sugar with a bacterium. In other words, it is a long carbohydrate chain.
How it is made
Xanthan gum is produced by fermenting a carbohydrate with the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris. It was first discovered by Allene Rosalind Jeanes and her team at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In the early 1960s, CP Kelco brought it into commercial production under the trade name Kelzan and remained the only manufacturer in the United States.
What it does in cosmetics
It has four separate jobs in a cosmetic product: it increases viscosity, stops water and oil from separating, forms a gel structure, and holds particles together in powdered products. That is why it appears in toothpaste, lotions, gels and makeup. It is also accepted as a conditioning additive in skin care.
Safety and its role in food
This substance is not only used in cosmetics; it is also known as food additive E 415. In its 2017 review, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) stated that it is largely broken down by intestinal fermentation and showed no adverse effects even at high intake amounts.
EFSA's 2017 evaluation found no adverse effects even at high intake, and it is approved as food additive E 415.
There is nothing special you need to do when you see it on a label. This ingredient is there to provide texture and stability to the product. Knowing that it is a thickener and stabilizer is enough.