Xanthan gum
AKA “Natural Thickener”
Surfactant
Ingredient Facts
Xanthan gum
AKA: Natural Thickener
Surfactant · Cleansing · EWG: 1
Plant-Derived Synthetic
Cleanser
Emulsifier
Skin Conditioner
Clean
Xanthan gum
Effective at 3.0%
CAS #
11138-66-2
See origin →
Functions
Binding
Emulsion Stabilising
Forces oil and water to stay mixed instead of separating into layers. The unsung hero holding your lotion together.
Gel Forming
Skin Conditioning
A catch-all term for ingredients that improve how skin looks and feels — softer, smoother, more supple. The workhorse behind most moisturizers.
Cleansing
Makes oil and water mix so dirt, makeup, and sunscreen can actually be washed away. The reason your face wash foams.
Emulsifying
Forces oil and water to stay mixed instead of separating into layers. The unsung hero holding your lotion together.
Viscosity Controlling
Locks in moisture
Traditional Use
Developed in the 1950s by scientists at the United States Department of Agriculture as a natural thickening agent derived from bacterial fermentation. It was adopted by the cosmetics industry in the 1960s-70s as a stabilizer and viscosity modifier for creams and lotions.
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
1e-05%
6.0%
0%100%
Effective Range
CIR reported use: 0.00001-6 | 0.1-1 | 0.03-5
Regulatory Agencies
Xanthan gum in drug release.
Hernán Cortes, Isaac H Caballero-Florán, Néstor Mendoza-Muñoz, Lidia Escutia-Guadarrama, Gabriela Figueroa-González, Octavio D Reyes-Hernández + 6 more
Cellular and molecular biology (Noisy-le-Grand, France), 2020
Dehydroxanthan Gum
European Commission
EU Cosmetic Ingredient Database (CosIng)
Hydroxypropyl Xanthan Gum
European Commission
EU Cosmetic Ingredient Database (CosIng)
Xanthan gum
European Commission
EU Cosmetic Ingredient Database (CosIng)
Xanthan Gum Crosspolymer
European Commission
EU Cosmetic Ingredient Database (CosIng)
Xanthan gum
Environmental Working Group (EWG)
EWG Skin Deep Cosmetics Database
Surface Morphology of Cosmetic Film Consisting of PEG-Diisostearate Amphiphilic Random Copolymer, Xanthan Gum, and Solvents.
Kaji M, Takeyama Y, Nioh A, Tsuyuki M, Akatsuka H et al.
Journal of oleo science, 2017
Preparation of sodium alginate and xanthan gum bionanocom...
Seyyede Fatemeh Mousavi, Nasser Arsalani, Marjan Ghorbani
International journal of biological macromolecules, 2025
Preparation of sodium alginate and xanthan gum bionanocom...
Seyyede Fatemeh Mousavi, Nasser Arsalani, Marjan Ghorbani
International journal of biological macromolecules, 2025
Preparation of sodium alginate and xanthan gum bionanocom...
Seyyede Fatemeh Mousavi, Nasser Arsalani, Marjan Ghorbani
International journal of biological macromolecules, 2025
Physicochemical stability of maize germ oil body emulsions as influenced by oil body surface-xanthan gum interactions.
Nikiforidis CV, Kiosseoglou V
Journal of agricultural and food chemistry, 2010
Physicochemical stability of maize germ oil body emulsions as influenced by oil body surface-xanthan gum interactions.
Nikiforidis CV, Kiosseoglou V
Journal of agricultural and food chemistry, 2010
Xanthan gum in aqueous solutions: Fundamentals and applications.
Nsengiyumva EM, Alexandridis P
International journal of biological macromolecules, 2022
Verified Jun 2026
Data: CosIng · EWG · CIR