Database/Emulsion Stabilising/Hydroxypropyl Xanthan Gum
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Hydroxypropyl Xanthan Gum natural?

Mostly. Fermentation-derived xanthan gum lightly etherified with petrochemical propylene oxide to improve cold-water dispersibility.

INCI nameHydroxypropyl Xanthan Gum
FunctionEmulsion Stabilising · Film Forming
FeedstockNative xanthan gum, from bacterial fermentation of glucose,…

How we scored it

Xanthan pentasaccharide repeat unit ≈933 Da (fermentation, natural) + assumed molar substitution ~0.4 hydroxypropyl groups ×58 Da (petrochemical propylene oxide) ≈23 Da → 933/956 = 0.98.
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.

Where it comes from

Native xanthan gum, from bacterial fermentation of glucose, is reacted with a small amount of petrochemical propylene oxide to add hydroxypropyl groups. Substitution level is typically low and not standardised across suppliers.

In plain English

A thickener made from fermented plant sugar, lightly modified with a synthetic chemical to dissolve more easily in cold water. Almost entirely derived from fermentation, with only a small synthetic addition.

CosIng definition: Hydroxypropyl Xanthan Gum is the hydroxypropyl ether of Xanthan Gum

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