Sucrose ●
TL;DR. This ingredient primarily functions as a humectant and skin-conditioning agent, helping bind water and improve product feel. In crystalline form, it can also provide physical exfoliation in rinse-off scrubs.
What does Sucrose do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient primarily functions as a humectant and skin-conditioning agent, helping bind water and improve product feel. In crystalline form, it can also provide physical exfoliation in rinse-off scrubs.
Is Sucrose clean?
It is well tolerated, low in irritation potential, and not a common clean-standard concern. The main formulation caveat is sensory, since higher levels can feel tacky or grainy depending on the format.
Is Sucrose sustainable?
This material is typically sourced from beet or cane crops, so it can come from renewable agricultural feedstocks. It is readily biodegradable, though crop cultivation can carry land, water, and farming-input considerations.
Is Sucrose COSMOS-approved?
It is permitted under COSMOS-natural and COSMOS-organic standards when sourced and processed according to the standard. Its renewable origin, simple processing, and biodegradability fit well with Green Chemistry principles.
How does Sucrose work chemically?
This molecule is a nonionic disaccharide with many hydroxyl groups, which explains its strong water binding and high water solubility. In leave-on formulas it is often used from low single digits up to about 10%, while rinse-off or anhydrous exfoliating formats may use much higher crystalline loads, and it is generally stable in mildly acidic to neutral systems but can hydrolyze under strong acid, heat, or enzymatic conditions.
Last updated 2026-05-13