Levan ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is mainly a water-binding film former and skin-conditioning polymer. It helps improve hydration, slip, and the feel of a formula without adding oiliness.
What does Levan do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is mainly a water-binding film former and skin-conditioning polymer. It helps improve hydration, slip, and the feel of a formula without adding oiliness.
Is Levan clean?
It is generally well-tolerated, not a common fragrance allergen, and has little clean-standard friction when made by accepted fermentation or plant-derived processes. Sensory or microbiome claims should be judged by formula-level evidence rather than the presence of this ingredient alone.
Is Levan sustainable?
This material is typically made from renewable sugar feedstocks through fermentation, and it is expected to be biodegradable as a carbohydrate-based polymer. Its footprint depends on the sugar source, fermentation efficiency, and wastewater management.
Is Levan COSMOS-approved?
It can be permitted under COSMOS-natural when produced by accepted fermentation from renewable carbohydrate feedstocks, while COSMOS-organic status depends on certified organic inputs and supplier documentation. From a Green Chemistry view, it aligns well because it uses renewable feedstocks, water-compatible processing, and a biodegradable polymer structure.
How does Levan work chemically?
The molecule is a high-molecular-weight fructose-based polysaccharide with mainly beta-2,6 linkages and limited beta-2,1 branching, which gives it film-forming and water-binding behavior. It is commonly used around 0.1 to 2% in aqueous phases, and strong acid, high heat, or fructose-polymer-cleaving enzymes can reduce molecular weight and change viscosity or film performance.
Last updated 2026-05-13