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Ingredient on hair labels

Xanthan Gum

TheWashDay editorial · Updated · From the EU ingredient register and the makers’ own labels · How we match names

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Xanthan Gum is on 11 of the 177 hair-product labels we compare, from 5 makers, most often in stylers. Its uses in the EU ingredient register include emulsifying surfactant, emulsion stabilizing and gel forming. 3 of these labels name it among the first five ingredients.

See it on each label Products without it

What it is

EU register name (INCI)
XANTHAN GUM
CAS number
11138-66-2
EC number
234-394-2

What the register lists it for

These are the uses the European Commission’s CosIng register lists for Xanthan Gum in any cosmetic, hair roles first. They say why a maker might add it, not what it does in one formula, and they aren’t a safety rating.

Emulsifying surfactant

Lets oil and water mix into one cream or lotion and stay mixed. Conditioners and creams rely on them.

Register definition: “Helping suspensions or dispersions of liquids in a second liquid by reducing the surface tension of the substances to be emulsified.”

Emulsion stabilizing

Keeps a cream’s oil and water from separating on the shelf.

Register definition: “Helping the process of emulsification and improving emulsion stability and shelf-life.”

Gel forming

Turns a liquid into a gel.

Register definition: “Giving the consistency of a gel (a semi-solid preparation with some elasticity) to a liquid preparation.”

Cleansing surfactant

The washing ingredients: they let water lift oil, product and dirt off hair and scalp. Shampoos list them near the top; some conditioners hold a little.

Register definition: “Wetting body surfaces, emulsifying or solubilizing oils, and suspending soil (generally, such ingredients contribute to the foaming and lathering properties of cleansing products).”

Viscosity controlling

Makes a product thicker or thinner, so a gel holds its shape or a shampoo pours. Gums, cellulose and some salts carry this role.

Register definition: “Increasing or decreasing the viscosity (thickness) of cosmetics.”

Binding

Holds powders or pressed products together. On a hair label it usually sits beside another listed use.

Register definition: “Providing adhesive properties during and after compression in cosmetic tablets and/or cakes.”

Skin conditioning

The register’s broad role for ingredients that keep skin in good condition. On a hair label it often sits beside a hair role, or marks a plant oil or extract.

Register definition: “Maintaining the skin in good condition.”

Where it sits on each label

US labels list ingredients from most to least, except that those at 1% or less may follow in any order. A name near the top is a large part of the formula. A label doesn’t mark where the 1% point falls, so further down, the order says little about how much is in it.

Every label, product by product (11)

Each line runs from the first name on a label to the last; a dot is where this ingredient sits. Makers change formulas now and then; if the list on your bottle differs, go by your bottle.

Your next step

Find products without Xanthan Gum Check every name on your own label All ingredients on the labels we compare

Other emulsifying surfactant ingredients on these labels

Updated · The name, numbers and uses come from the European Commission’s CosIng entry (CC BY 4.0); we write the uses in US spelling and put the hair ones first. The labels are each maker’s own. The order rule is the FDA’s Cosmetics Labeling Guide. All our sources are on the Sources page.