Hydroxyethyl Cellulose for Cosmetics

Introduction to Hydroxyethyl Cellulose (HEC) in Cosmetics

Hydroxyethyl Cellulose (HEC) is a widely used cosmetic ingredient known for its exceptional thickening efficiency, moisture resistance, and chemical compatibility. As a non-ionic, water-soluble polymer, HEC plays a crucial role in formulating skincare, haircare, and personal care products, ensuring the perfect consistency, stability, and performance.

This page explores the benefits of HEC for cosmetics, focusing on its thickening efficiency, moisture resistance, chemical compatibility, and pH stability, making it a preferred choice for formulators worldwide.

1. HEC Thickening Efficiency in Cosmetic Formulations

One of the primary reasons for using Hydroxyethyl Cellulose in cosmetics is its excellent thickening efficiency. As a rheology modifier, HEC provides:

Enhanced viscosity control – Ensures a smooth and luxurious texture.

Shear-thinning properties – Allows easy application and spreadability.

Stable gel formation – Ideal for serums, lotions, and creams.

HEC can be used in water-based and hydroalcoholic formulations, providing long-lasting consistency without clumping or separation.

2. HEC Moisture Resistance: Keeping Your Formulation Stable

HEC is highly moisture-resistant, making it an excellent choice for cosmetic formulations that require prolonged hydration and stability. Key benefits include:

Prevention of water loss – Enhances product longevity.

Improved texture retention – Ensures smooth application even in humid conditions.

Better film-forming properties – Ideal for skincare masks, serums, and leave-in conditioners.

Moisture resistance is particularly valuable for products exposed to varying environmental conditions, ensuring a longer shelf life and better consumer experience.

3. HEC Chemical Compatibility with Other Cosmetic Ingredients

Hydroxyethyl Cellulose is chemically compatible with a wide range of cosmetic ingredients, making it a versatile addition to various formulations. It works seamlessly with:

Surfactants – Ideal for shampoos, body washes, and cleansers.

Emulsifiers – Ensures uniform mixing in lotions and creams.

Active ingredients – Maintains stability in skincare formulations with vitamins and botanical extracts.

HEC’s ability to maintain stability in complex formulations allows formulators to create innovative cosmetic products without compromising performance.

4. HEC pH Stability: Ensuring Product Performance & Safety

Maintaining the right pH balance is crucial for cosmetic formulations, and HEC provides excellent pH stability across a wide range (typically pH 3 to 9). Advantages include:

Prevention of ingredient degradation – Maintains the efficacy of actives.

Enhanced consumer safety – Reduces the risk of skin irritation.

Better formulation stability – Ensures a longer shelf life for cosmetic products.

This property makes HEC ideal for facial cleansers, anti-aging serums, and pH-sensitive formulations, ensuring both effectiveness and user comfort.

Why Choose HEC for Cosmetic Formulations?

Using Hydroxyethyl Cellulose in cosmetics provides numerous formulation advantages:

Improved texture & viscosity control

Superior moisture resistance & hydration retention

High compatibility with other cosmetic ingredients
Excellent pH stability for product safety & efficacy

HEC is the perfect thickener and stabilizer for cosmetic brands looking to create high-quality, consumer-friendly formulations.

Get High-Quality Hydroxyethyl Cellulose for Cosmetics

If you’re looking for a reliable HEC supplier for your cosmetic formulations, we offer high-purity Hydroxyethyl Cellulose with excellent thickening properties and stability. Contact us today to learn more about our customized solutions and bulk purchase options.

Application

Hydroxyethyl cellulose（HEC）

The most important property of hydroxyethyl cellulose powder is that it acts as a thickener, in creasing the viscosity of the liquid,and its thickening depends on its concentration. If you're searching for a versatile solution that enhances the performance of your products, look no further than Hydroxyethyl Cellulose (HEC) powder.

Gypsum Special Grade HPMC

The gypsum special grade hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose HPMC has the characteristics of high water retention, dispersibility, good fineness, good workability and easy dissolution. widely used in gypsum products like gypsum plaster, adhesive plaster, embedded gypsum, tile adhesives etc.

Daily Chemical Products Additive

Daily Chemical HPMC has a variety of properties such as thickening, foam stabllization,emulifiation, and easy dispersion. Shampoo Additive HPMC has good compatibility with various additives of other daily chemical products. It is widely used in detergents, shower gels, shampoos, hand sanitizers, and laundry liquid and other products.

Tile Adhesive Additive

Tile Adhesive Additive HPMC can ensure the smooth construction on difterent base surtaces, even when the ambient temperalure is relalively harsh, the tile adhesive can be given a long enough open time and adjustable time.

Gypsum Additive

In gypsum products, the focus is on water retention, retardation and lubrication. Different gypsum has different effects on product performance, so thickening, water retention, and retardation determine the quality of gypsum building materials.

Mortar Additive

Adding hydroxypropyl metylellulose can improve anti-sip performance, improve wetting performance, thicken, improve batch scraping and slipping, easy to level, improve surface performance and strength, and have very good compatibility with other additives.

Putty Powder Additive

Hydroxypropyl metylcellulose is a commonly used raw material in powdered building materials, which greatly improves the slip performance and anti-sag performance of the construction, improves the wettability, improves the anti-slip performance of the putty, improves the leveling effect of the putty, and improves the construction eficlency.

Technical Guidelines for Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose (HPMC)

As a professional manufacturer of architectural-grade HPMC, we provide you with comprehensive technical guidance and problem-solving support throughout the production and application processes.

How much do you know about Hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose(HPMC)?

Hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC) is a non-ionic cellulose ether obtained by cellulose alkalization, etherification, neutralization and washing. HPMC has good thickening, dispersing, emulsifying, film-forming properties, etc.It is the first choice for production of high quality building materials additives.

Laboratory overview

We have both Chemical Lab and Application Lab to ensure each order's best satisfaction

How to improve the adhesion of putty

When encountering the projects that have been constructed, it is found that the adhesion of putty on the exterior wall is poor, the following methods can be adopted to improve the adhesion of putty:

Dissolution Method

Take the required amount of hot water into the container and heat to above 85., stir slowly and add the product gradually The cellulose initially floats on the water, but gradually disperses in water and forms homogeneous slurry. Goon stirring until it cools down and becomes clear

Products

Faq

How to judge the quality of HPMC?

The powder loss in putty is mainly related to the quality of the lime powder and has little to do with HPMC. Low calcium content in lime powder and an improper ratio of CaO and Ca(OH)2 in lime powder can both cause powder loss. If there is a slight relationship with HPMC, it would be that poor water retention of HPMC can also contribute to powder loss.

What is the main use of 1-Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC)?

1. Whiteness: Although whiteness alone does not determine the usefulness of HPMC, higher-quality products usually have better whiteness. 2. Fineness: HPMC is typically available in 80 and 100 mesh sizes, with fewer options in 120 mesh. Finer particles generally indicate better quality. 3. Transmittance: When HPMC is dissolved in water and forms a transparent colloidal solution, higher transmittance indicates fewer insoluble impurities. 4. Specific gravity: Higher specific gravity is generally better. A higher specific gravity is often due to a higher content of hydroxypropyl, which results in better water retention.

What is the main function of HPMC in putty powder and does it undergo a chemical reaction?

HPMC can be divided into two types: instant soluble and heat soluble. Instant soluble HPMC quickly disperses in cold water, disappearing in the water. At this stage, the liquid does not have viscosity because HPMC is only dispersed in the water and not completely dissolved. After about 2 minutes, the viscosity of the liquid gradually increases, forming a transparent and viscous colloidal solution. Heat soluble HPMC tends to agglomerate in cold water but can rapidly disperse in hot water, disappearing in it. As the temperature decreases to a certain point, viscosity slowly appears until a transparent and viscous colloidal solution is formed. Heat soluble HPMC can only be used in putty powder and mortar, as it tends to agglomerate in liquid adhesives and coatings and cannot be used effectively. Instant soluble HPMC has a wider range of applications and can be used in putty powder, mortar, liquid adhesives, and coatings without any restrictions.

What is the relationship between the gelation temperature of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) and something else?

The gelation temperature of HPMC is related to its methoxy content. The lower the methoxy content, the higher the gelation temperature.

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