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carrageenan
AKA “Carrageenan”
Ingredient
Ingredient Facts
carrageenan
Ingredient · Skin Conditioning · EWG: 1
Plant-Derived Synthetic
Skin Conditioner
Marine
Clean
Carrageenan Carrageenin Chondrus Chondrus Crispus (Carrageenan)
CAS #
9000-07-1
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.
Antioxidant
Anti-Inflammatory
Antimicrobial
Hydrates skin
Soothes inflammation
Provides antioxidant protection
Supports skin barrier
Traditional Use
Extracted from red seaweed and used traditionally in Irish and Scottish coastal communities as a food thickener and folk remedy for coughs. Adopted in 20th-century cosmetics as a natural gelling and thickening agent.
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 Status
USA✔ permitted
EU⚠ restricted
JAPAN⚠ restricted
CANADA⚠ restricted
Calcium Carrageenan
European Commission
EU Cosmetic Ingredient Database (CosIng)
→
carrageenan
European Commission
EU Cosmetic Ingredient Database (CosIng)
→
Hydrolyzed Carrageenan
European Commission
EU Cosmetic Ingredient Database (CosIng)
→
Potassium Carrageenan
European Commission
EU Cosmetic Ingredient Database (CosIng)
→
Potassium Undecylenoyl Carrageenan
European Commission
EU Cosmetic Ingredient Database (CosIng)
→
Sodium Carrageenan
European Commission
EU Cosmetic Ingredient Database (CosIng)
→
Sodium/TEA-Undecylenoyl Carrageenan
European Commission
EU Cosmetic Ingredient Database (CosIng)
→
Calcium Carrageenan
Environmental Working Group (EWG)
EWG Skin Deep Cosmetics Database
→
carrageenan
Environmental Working Group (EWG)
EWG Skin Deep Cosmetics Database
→
Sodium Carrageenan
Environmental Working Group (EWG)
EWG Skin Deep Cosmetics Database
→
Biochemical Characteristics and Potential Biomedical Applications of Hydrolyzed Carrageenans.
Humayun S, Premarathna AD, Rjabovs V, Howlader MM, Darko CNS et al.
Marine drugs, 2023
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Kappaphycus alvarezii as a renewable source of kappa-carrageenan and other cosmetic ingredients.
Nurani W, Anwar Y, Batubara I, Arung ET, Fatriasari W
International journal of biological macromolecules, 2024
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Physicochemical characterization of sodium stearoyl lactylate (SSL), polyoxyethylene sorbitan monolaurate (Tween 20) and κ-carrageenan.
Ortiz-Tafoya MC, Tecante A
Data in brief, 2018
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Carrageenan: a natural seaweed polysaccharide and its applications.
Prajapati VD, Maheriya PM, Jani GK, Solanki HK
Carbohydrate polymers, 2014
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Carrageenan: a natural seaweed polysaccharide and its applications.
Prajapati VD, Maheriya PM, Jani GK, Solanki HK
Carbohydrate polymers, 2014
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Carrageenan: a natural seaweed polysaccharide and its applications.
Prajapati VD, Maheriya PM, Jani GK, Solanki HK
Carbohydrate polymers, 2014
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Immunomodulation by xylan and carrageenan-type polysaccharides from red seaweeds: Anti-inflammatory, wound healing, cytoprotective, and anticoagulant
Premarathna AD, Ahmed TAE, Rjabovs V, Hammami R, Critchley AT et al.
International journal of biological macromolecules, 2024
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Verified Jun 2026
Data: CosIng · EWG · CIR