Agarose ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is used mainly as a gelling agent and viscosity builder, giving water-based formulas a soft gel structure. It can also add light film formation and texture control.
What does Agarose do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is used mainly as a gelling agent and viscosity builder, giving water-based formulas a soft gel structure. It can also add light film formation and texture control.
Is Agarose clean?
From a clean-beauty perspective, it is generally well tolerated and has little restricted-list friction. Sensitivity concerns are low because it is a high-molecular-weight polysaccharide with limited skin penetration.
Is Agarose sustainable?
This material is derived from renewable red seaweed and is biodegradable. Its sustainability profile depends on responsible harvesting or aquaculture practices and water-efficient processing.
Is Agarose COSMOS-approved?
It is generally compatible with COSMOS-natural and COSMOS-organic standards when sourced and processed through allowed physical extraction and purification methods. It fits Green Chemistry well because it is renewable, water-compatible, and readily broken down in the environment.
How does Agarose work chemically?
The molecule is a mostly neutral, linear seaweed polysaccharide built from alternating galactose units, allowing chains to form helices and a three-dimensional gel network on cooling. Typical use is about 0.1 to 2% for viscosity, gel texture, or film formation, and it hydrates with heat, sets as it cools, and is most stable around mildly acidic to neutral pH.
Last updated 2026-05-13