Microcrystalline Cellulose

What Is It?

Cellulose is a naturally occurring component found in the cell walls of plants. There are many modified cellulose polymers including Calcium Carboxymethyl Cellulose, Carboxymethyl Cellulose Acetate Butyrate, Carboxymethyl Hydroxyethylcellulose, Cellulose Acetate, Cellulose Acetate Butyrate, Cellulose Gum, Cellulose Acetate Propionate, Cellulose Acetate Propionate Carboxylate, Cellulose Succinate, Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose, Ethylcellulose, Hydrolyzed Cellulose Gum, Hydroxybutyl Methylcellulose, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Hydroxyethyl Ethylcellulose, Hydroxypropylcellulose, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Methylcellulose, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose Acetate/Succinate, Methylcellulose, Methyl Ethylcellulose, Methyl Hydroxyethylcellulose, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Potassium Cellulose Succinate and Sodium Cellulose Sulfate that may be used in cosmetics and personal care products. These cellulose ingredients may be used in cosmetics and personal care products including bath products, hair products, eye and facial makeup, skin care products and shaving products.

Why Is It Used?

The following functions have been reported for these ingredients.

  • Abrasive – Microcrystalline Cellulose
  • Absorbent – Cellulose, Microcrystalline Cellulose
  • Adhesive – Hydroxyethyl Ethylcellulose, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Methyl Hydroxyethylcellulose
  • Anticaking agent – Microcrystalline Cellulose
  • Binder – Carboxymethyl Hydroxyethylcellulose, Cellulose Gum, Cellulose Acetate Propionate Carboxylate, Ethylcellulose, Hydroxybutyl Methylcellulose, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Hydroxyethyl Ethylcellulose, Hydroxypropylcellulose, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Methylcellulose, Methyl Ethylcellulose, Sodium Cellulose Sulfate
  • Bulking agent -Cellulose, Microcrystalline Cellulose
  • Emulsion stabilizer – Calcium Carboxymethyl Cellulose, Carboxymethyl Cellulose Acetate Butyrate, Carboxymethyl Hydroxyethylcellulose, Cellulose Gum, Cellulose Acetate Propionate Carboxylate, Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose, Hydrolyzed Cellulose Gum, Hydroxybutyl Methylcellulose, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Hydroxyethyl Ethylcellulose, Hydroxypropylcellulose, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Methylcellulose, Methyl Ethylcellulose, Methyl Hydroxyethylcellulose, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Sodium Cellulose Sulfate
  • Film former – Calcium Carboxymethyl Cellulose, Carboxymethyl Cellulose Acetate Butyrate, Carboxymethyl Hydroxyethylcellulose, Cellulose Acetate, Cellulose Acetate Butyrate, Cellulose Gum, Cellulose Acetate Propionate, Cellulose Acetate Propionate Carboxylate, Ethylcellulose, Hydrolyzed Cellulose Gum, Hydroxybutyl Methylcellulose, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Hydroxyethyl Ethylcellulose, Hydroxypropylcellulose, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose Acetate/Succinate
  • Opacifying agent- Cellulose Succinate, Potassium Cellulose Succinate
  • Skin conditioning agent – humectant – Cellulose Succinate, Potassium Cellulose Succinate
  • Slip modifier – Cellulose, Microcrystalline Cellulose
  • Viscosity increasing agent – aqueous – Calcium Carboxymethyl Cellulose, Carboxymethyl Cellulose Acetate Butyrate, Carboxymethyl Hydroxyethylcellulose, Cellulose Gum, Cellulose Acetate Propionate Carboxylate, Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose, Ethylcellulose, Hydrolyzed Cellulose Gum, Hydroxybutyl Methylcellulose, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Hydroxyethyl Ethylcellulose, Hydroxypropylcellulose, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Methylcellulose, Methyl Ethylcellulose, Methyl Hydroxyethylcellulose, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Sodium Cellulose Sulfate

Scientific Facts

Cellulose is a plant-derived material. It is a large molecule composed of relatively small chemical compounds called monomers. Cellulose is composed of glucose monomers and differs slightly from starch, which is also composed of glucose monomers. The other ingredients in this group are all modified cellulose polymers.

Safety Information

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) includes Ethylcellulose, Hydroxypropylcellulose, Methyl Ethylcellulose and Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose on its list of multipurpose additives allowed to be directly added to food. FDA also permits Cellulose and a number of modified cellulose polymers to be used as indirect food additives. For example, Cellulose, Cellulose Acetate Butryate, Cellulose Acetate Propionate, Cellulose Gum, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Hydroxyethyl Ethylcellulose, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose and Methylcellulose can be used in adhesives in contact with food. As substances migrating to food from paper and paperboard products, FDA considers Cellulose Acetate and Ethylcellulose to be Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS). The FDA has also approved the use of Cellulose Gum, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose and Methylcellulose for use as ophthalmic demulcents in over-the-counter (OTC) drug products for the eyes.

When used in an OTC drug product Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose must be called Hypromellose. The safety of Cellulose, Calcium Carboxymethyl Cellulose, Carboxymethyl Cellulose Acetate Butyrate, Carboxymethyl Hydroxyethylcellulose, Cellulose Acetate, Cellulose Acetate Butyrate, Cellulose Gum, Cellulose Acetate Propionate, Cellulose Acetate Propionate Carboxylate, Cellulose Succinate, Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose, Ethylcellulose, Hydrolyzed Cellulose Gum, Hydroxybutyl Methylcellulose, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Hydroxyethyl Ethylcellulose, Hydroxypropylcellulose, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Methylcellulose, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose Acetate/Succinate, Methylcellulose, Methyl Ethylcellulose, Methyl Hydroxyethylcellulose, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Potassium Cellulose Succinate and Sodium Cellulose Sulfate has been assessed by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel. The CIR Expert Panel evaluated the scientific data and concluded that these ingredients were safe as cosmetic ingredients.

CIR Safety Review:

The CIR Expert Panel noted that in addition to the use of the cellulose ingredients in cosmetics and personal care products, they were widely used in food, pharmaceuticals and industrial products. Large doses of Methylcellulose and Cellulose Gum administered orally as laxatives produced no toxic effects in humans. The cellulose derivatives pass essentially unchanged through the gastrointestinal tract following oral administration. They are practically nontoxic when administered by inhalation or by oral, intraperitoneal, subcutaneous, or dermal routes. Subchronic and chronic oral studies indicated that the cellulose derivatives were nontoxic. No significant developmental or reproductive effects were demonstrated. Ocular and dermal irritation studies showed that the cellulose derivatives were minimally irritating to the eyes and nonirritating to slightly irritating to the skin when tested at concentrations up to 100%. No mutagenic activity of these ingredients was demonstrated.

The cellulose derivatives at concentrations up to 100% were nonirritating to mildly irritating, nonsensitizing, and nonphotosensitizing when evaluated in clinical studies. The CIR Expert Panel concluded that Cellulose, Calcium Carboxymethyl Cellulose, Carboxymethyl Cellulose Acetate Butyrate, Carboxymethyl Hydroxyethylcellulose, Cellulose Acetate, Cellulose Acetate Butyrate, Cellulose Gum, Cellulose Acetate Propionate, Cellulose Acetate Propionate Carboxylate, Cellulose Succinate, Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose, Ethylcellulose, Hydrolyzed Cellulose Gum, Hydroxybutyl Methylcellulose, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Hydroxyethyl Ethylcellulose, Hydroxypropylcellulose, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Methylcellulose, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose Acetate/Succinate, Methylcellulose, Methyl Ethylcellulose, Methyl Hydroxyethylcellulose, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Potassium Cellulose Succinate and Sodium Cellulose Sulfate were safe for use as cosmetic ingredients.

Links to FDA Code of Federal Regulations for Cellulose and modified cellulose polymers

Cellulose, and modified cellulose polymers may be used in cosmetics and personal care products marketed in the European Union according to the general requirements of the Cosmetics Regulation of the European Union.

EU Cosmetic Regulation

The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives has established an Acceptable Daily Intake of 0-25 mg/kg body weight for the sum total of modified celluloses: Hydroxypropylcellulose, Methylcellulose, Methyl Ethylcellulose, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose and Cellulose Gum.

 

More Scientific Information

Cellulose, a natural polysaccharide, is the primary structural component of plants.

Resources

Find out more about the regulation of Food Additives by the Food and Drug Administration