Database/Binding/Cellulose Gum
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Cellulose Gum natural?

Mostly. Cellulose backbone is wood or cotton pulp; carboxymethyl groups are installed using petrochemical chloroacetate, though the sodium itself counts as natural.

INCI nameCellulose Gum
CAS9004-32-4
FunctionBinding · Emulsion Stabilising
FeedstockMade by reacting alkali-treated wood or cotton cellulose…

How we scored it

AGU C6H10O5 162 Da (natural, cellulose) + DS 0.8 x CH2COONa 81 Da carboxymethyl group (Na 23 Da natural counter-ion + CH2COO 58 Da petrochemical) -> natural 162+18=180 / total 227 = 0.79.
What counts. ISO 16128-2 scores the atoms that remain in the final ingredient. Reagents, solvents, catalysts and protecting groups used during manufacture leave no mass behind and are not counted.

How it’s made

Cellulose alkoxide + chloroacetate (Williamson SN2). Each curved arrow moves one electron pair, and the film ends on the score above.

Where it comes from

Made by reacting alkali-treated wood or cotton cellulose with sodium monochloroacetate (petrochemical) at a typical degree of substitution of about 0.8. No bio-based chloroacetate route is used commercially.

In plain English

A thickener and stabiliser made from plant cellulose, usually wood pulp or cotton. It's chemically modified with a small synthetic group to help it dissolve in water, so it stays mostly but not entirely plant-derived.

CosIng definition: Cellulose, carboxymethyl ether, sodium salt

Natural alternatives with the same function

Agar 100% natural origin

A gelling and thickening gum extracted from red seaweed. It is used to give products body and texture,…

 Algin 100% natural origin

Sodium alginate, a thickening and binding gum extracted from brown seaweed. It's harvested from algae and processed to…

 Alginic Acid 100% natural origin

A gelling and thickening gum extracted from brown seaweed, the acid form of alginate. It's harvested and purified…

 Aluminum Zinc Oxide 100% natural origin

A white mineral powder made from zinc and aluminium oxides. It adds opacity, bulk and absorbency to powders…

 Amylopectin 100% natural origin

A binding and thickening ingredient that is the highly branched component of plant starch, typically sourced from corn,…

 Astragalus Gummifer Gum 100% natural origin

A natural plant gum, known as tragacanth, harvested from a Middle Eastern shrub. Used as a thickener and…

References

  1. 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.
  2. 2CELLULOSE GUM. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3CELLULOSE GUM. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=CELLULOSE%20GUM