What is guar gum?
Guar gum is extracted from the seeds of the guar beans. It is a fine white or beige powder that is used for its thickening and stabilizing properties.
It is water soluble and is used to stabilise water based cosmetic products. Guar gum is a great binding ingredient which can help increase the stability of cosmetic products. This means that guar gum makes your emulsions stronger and less likely to separate.
Is guar gum vegan?
Guar gum is 100% vegan friendly as it is a plant derived product, extracted from the seeds of the guar bean. There is also no animal testing or ingredients used in the process.
Guar gum uses
Guar gum is used in water based cosmetics as it increases emulsion stability which prevents water loss. It can also be used as a thickening agent and is often added to cosmetic products like lotions, ointments, and creams. Adding guar gum to recipes can also bring additional moisturising properties and leave skin feeling smoother.
Xanthan gum vs Guar gum?
Xanthan gum is derived from the sugar of wheat, corn, soy or dairy. The sugar is then fermented by a bacteria called Xanthomonas campestris.
Both guar gum and xanthan gum have similar properties and are used as thickening agents and to bind ingredients together. However, xanthan gum is often more expensive than guar gum.
Guar gum substitute
We recommend substituting Hydroxyethyl cellulose instead of guar gum in your recipe. It is more expensive, but it has a better skin feel. You can also substitute with xanthan gum because it is pretty similar to guar gum.
