Manihot Utilissima Starch

TL;DR. This ingredient is primarily an absorbent and texture modifier, used to reduce greasiness, add slip, and give powders, creams, and lotions a softer dry-down. It can also support viscosity and improve product feel in emulsions and anhydrous formats.

What does Manihot Utilissima Starch do in a cosmetic formula?

This ingredient is primarily an absorbent and texture modifier, used to reduce greasiness, add slip, and give powders, creams, and lotions a softer dry-down. It can also support viscosity and improve product feel in emulsions and anhydrous formats.

Is Manihot Utilissima Starch clean?

From a clean-beauty perspective, it is generally well tolerated and has little restricted-list friction. Sensitivity is uncommon, though very fine powders can feel drying or dusty depending on the formula format.

Is Manihot Utilissima Starch sustainable?

This material comes from a renewable food-crop source and is readily biodegradable. Its sustainability profile depends mostly on agricultural practices, land use, and processing water management rather than persistence after use.

Is Manihot Utilissima Starch COSMOS-approved?

It is permitted under COSMOS-natural and COSMOS-organic frameworks when sourced and processed according to the standard. It fits Green Chemistry principles well because it is plant-derived, biodegradable, and typically processed with relatively simple physical separation steps.

How does Manihot Utilissima Starch work chemically?

The material consists mainly of amylose and amylopectin carbohydrate polymers in granular form, which gives it oil-absorbing and sensory-modifying behavior. Native granules are largely insoluble in cold water, swell with heat, and can lose viscosity under high shear, low pH, or extended heating; typical use is about 1 to 10% depending on whether the goal is texture, absorbency, or body.

Last updated 2026-05-15