Agarose
AKA “Agar polysaccharide, Agarose gel”
Skin Conditioning
Ingredient Facts
Agarose
AKA: Agar polysaccharide, Agarose gel
Skin Conditioning · Skin Conditioning · EWG: 1
Plant-Derived
Skin Conditioner
Marine
Clean
Agarose is the polysaccharide extracted from the Red Seaweed, Gracilaria, Gelidiaceae
CAS #
9012-36-6
Form
Powder
See origin →
Functions
Skin Conditioning
A catch-all term for ingredients that improve how skin looks and feels — softer, smoother, more supple. The workhorse behind most moisturizers.
Viscosity Controlling
Locks in moisture
Traditional Use
Isolated from agar in the 1950s for laboratory use. Later adapted for cosmetics in the 1980s-1990s as a natural gelling and thickening agent derived from red algae.
Skin Types
●all-skin-types, gentle
Best For
General
Pregnancy & Breastfeeding Safe
Yes
EWG
1
CIR
Safe as used
Pregnancy
Yes
CIR Safety Findings
Not a Sensitizer
ewg-1
medical-approval
pregnancy-nursing-safe
all-shades-safe
Concentration Guide
Dermal absorption: 2%. Source: CIR Safety Assessment (CIR Seq 680).
Regulatory Agencies
Agarose
European Commission
EU Cosmetic Ingredient Database (CosIng)
Agarose
Environmental Working Group (EWG)
EWG Skin Deep Cosmetics Database
Agarose-silver particles films: Effect of calcium ascorbate in nanoparticles synthesis and film properties.
Onofre-Cordeiro NA, Silva YEO, Solidônio EG, de Sena KXFR, Silva WE et al.
International journal of biological macromolecules, 2018
Verified Jun 2026
Data: CosIng · EWG · CIR