How we scored it
Where it comes from
Alginate is extracted from brown seaweed cell walls as a natural polysaccharide gum. It is neutralized with ammonia, which is industrially manufactured from natural gas via the Haber process.
In plain English
Thickens and stabilizes creams, lotions and gels, and helps films hold together. Made from alginate, a natural gum extracted from brown seaweed, combined with ammonium to make it water-soluble.
Natural alternatives with the same function
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References
- 1ISO 16128-1:2016 and ISO 16128-2:2017 — Guidelines on technical definitions and criteria for natural and organic cosmetic ingredients and products. ISO, Geneva.
- 2AMMONIUM ALGINATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
- 3AMMONIUM ALGINATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=AMMONIUM%20ALGINATE