Hydrated Silica ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is mainly used as an abrasive, absorbent, opacifier, and viscosity modifier. It is especially common in toothpaste for controlled polishing and in skin care or makeup to reduce shine and improve texture.
What does Hydrated Silica do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is mainly used as an abrasive, absorbent, opacifier, and viscosity modifier. It is especially common in toothpaste for controlled polishing and in skin care or makeup to reduce shine and improve texture.
Is Hydrated Silica clean?
From a clean-beauty perspective, it is generally well tolerated on skin and is not a common allergen or sensitizer. The main formulation note is particle form, since fine airborne powders need responsible manufacturing controls to limit inhalation exposure during production.
Is Hydrated Silica sustainable?
This material is mineral-derived and based on abundant earth elements. It is not biodegradable in the organic-matter sense, but it is inert, non-bioaccumulative, and does not raise the same persistence concerns as many synthetic polymers.
Is Hydrated Silica COSMOS-approved?
It is permitted under COSMOS-natural and COSMOS-organic frameworks as a mineral-origin ingredient, though it does not contribute organic content. Its Green Chemistry profile is strongest on low reactivity, inertness, and broad compatibility, and weaker on renewability because it is mineral rather than plant-derived.
How does Hydrated Silica work chemically?
The molecule is an amorphous inorganic network of silicon and oxygen atoms with bound water and surface hydroxyl groups, which gives it high surface area and adsorption capacity. Typical use ranges are about 5 to 35% in toothpaste abrasives and around 0.5 to 10% in skin care or makeup, and it is insoluble, broadly pH-stable, and mainly performance-tuned by particle size and porosity.
Last updated 2026-05-13