Industry challenges
Emulsions, serums and mask essences need suspension stability, skin feel, flow, pumpability and long-term storage at once. Conventional thickeners that raise static viscosity can cause stringing, stickiness or poorer spreading, and systems with particles, pearlescent pigments or actives settle easily.
What nanocellulose does
CNF and BC dispersions provide low-shear suspension and rheology control through their fibre network while lowering apparent viscosity under shear, which makes them well suited to thixotropic systems. BC formed gel membranes and dry membranes belong to the face-mask substrate route and should be clearly distinguished from BC dispersions used as formulation rheology modifiers.
Recommended grade
Recommended: BC dispersion, compared with CNF in parallel.
Why: by product positioning, BC dispersion and CNF are mainly used for thickening, suspension and system stability in cosmetics. The fibre network is well suited to balancing static suspension against spreading in use, so it should be the focus product for cosmetic formulations rather than seeing BC only as a mask material.
Alternatives
Test C-CNF for stronger water-phase rheology control, or hydroxyl CNF to reduce surface-charge effects. If the customer is developing a formed mask substrate, switch to BC gel or dry membranes instead of dispersions.
Trial suggestions
On finished-formulation mass, screen low dosages at 0.05%, 0.10%, 0.30% and 0.50% dry-matter equivalent against a blank with the original thickener system. Disperse fully in the water phase before adding other components. Evaluate viscosity curve, suspension, centrifuge stability, freeze-thaw cycling, skin feel, stringing and pumpability.
Common issues
- Draggy feel or pilling: lower the dosage and check overlap with polymeric thickeners.
- Suspension still insufficient: look at yield stress and thixotropy rather than a single viscosity point.
- Emulsion instability: check addition order and compatibility with the emulsifier system.
- Preservation changes: nanocellulose does not replace the required preservative challenge test.
Note
These suggestions are for nanocellulose material selection and preliminary trials only, not fixed formulations, final process parameters or regulatory conclusions. Results depend on product type, surface groups, solids content, dispersion state, dosing method, and on the system's pH, ionic strength, resin/polymer/protein type, pigments, fillers and other additives. Run a blank and a dosage gradient to confirm the grade and process conditions for your own system. For food, cosmetic, medical and food-contact uses, confirm regulations, purity, testing and market access separately for the target market.
