Carrageenan.[1][2] ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is primarily a plant-derived thickener, gelling agent, and stabilizer. It helps build viscosity, suspend particles, and improve texture in gels, lotions, toothpaste, and hair-care formulas.
What does Carrageenan.[1][2] do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is primarily a plant-derived thickener, gelling agent, and stabilizer. It helps build viscosity, suspend particles, and improve texture in gels, lotions, toothpaste, and hair-care formulas.
Is Carrageenan.[1][2] clean?
From a clean-beauty perspective, it is generally well accepted and not a common restricted-list concern. Most discussion relates to low-molecular-weight degradation products, which are not representative of the cosmetic-grade material used as a thickener.
Is Carrageenan.[1][2] sustainable?
This material is sourced from red seaweed, a renewable marine crop that can be cultivated with relatively low land, freshwater, and fertilizer inputs. It is biodegradable, though sourcing quality depends on responsible seaweed farming or managed wild harvest.
Is Carrageenan.[1][2] COSMOS-approved?
It is permitted under COSMOS-natural and COSMOS-organic when produced through allowed extraction and purification methods. Its renewable origin, biodegradability, and water-based processing profile align well with Green Chemistry principles.
How does Carrageenan.[1][2] work chemically?
The molecule is an anionic sulfated galactan polysaccharide, with different sulfate patterns giving different thickening or gelling behavior. It is commonly used around 0.1% to 2%, gels or thickens in the presence of specific salts, and performs best near mildly acidic to neutral pH because strong acid plus heat can reduce viscosity over time.
Last updated 2026-05-13