Throughout my career, I've often been fascinated by raw materials that allow me to work with innovative textures.
Several years ago, I had the opportunity to work with an incredibly versatile polysaccharide that made a lasting impression on me: gellan gum.
Following a marketing brief, I had to formulate a hot-cast gel mask in a face-shaped mould. That's when I discovered gellan gum, which I had a lot of fun formulating. After cooling and demoulding, the resulting gel mask was transparent, supple, easy to handle, resistant and gave a very intense fresh effect when applied to the face.
Today, I'm delighted to discover that gellan gum is used in solid aqueous emulsion formulas in stick form!
The technology is certainly not new, but it is used in the latest launches of the Laino brand from the Gilbert laboratories. Three new masks in the COSMETIKWATCH database
- Detox face mask: 100% natural origin
- Soothing face mask: 100% natural origin
- Energising face mask: 99% natural origin
Find out more about this gum?
Gellan gum is a natural hydrocolloid (OK COSMOS) obtained by the natural fermentation of sugar under the action of the micro-organism Sphingomonas Elodea. It is available in two versions:
- In its native or high-acyl form, it produces soft, elastic, non-brittle gels,
- In its low-acyl form, it produces firm, inelastic, brittle gels.
In the presence of cations, an acidic medium or sugars, the properties of the gel obtained can be modified to suit the desired application.
In a solid mask stick formula, it is found in its native form or with a high acyl content to gel the emulsion and obtain a stick for applying the formula to the face.
In the food industry, gellan gum can be used as a vegetable substitute for gelatin of animal origin in a variety of food and drink applications, from gelled sweets to plant-based alternative dairy drinks. Some scientific studies are also showing its value as a substitute for polyacrylates in cosmetics.
Does this give you ideas for your future solid product?