How we scored it
Fructose polymer made enzymatically from natural sucrose; enzymatic-conversion convention = 1.0.
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
Produced by bacterial enzymatic conversion of sucrose (from sugar beet or cane) into a fructose polymer. A biotechnological process with no petrochemical route.
In plain English
A film-forming sugar polymer made by enzymatically converting natural sucrose. It's used to protect and hydrate skin, similar to other fermentation-derived gums.
CosIng definition: Levan is polyfructose produced by enzymatic action on sucrose
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.
- 2LEVAN. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
- 3LEVAN. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=LEVAN