What is it?
A purified, finely divided form of cellulose, the fiber that gives plants their structure. It is made from plant pulp that is partly broken down with mineral acid, leaving tiny crystalline particles. In cosmetics it absorbs oil, adds bulk and texture, makes products more opaque, helps thicken and stabilize emulsions and works as a scrubbing agent. It is also used as a food additive (E 460(i)).
Key information
- Microcrystalline cellulose is purified plant cellulose that is not chemically modified.
- The CIR Expert Panel concluded in its 2009 amended assessment that it is safe as used in cosmetics.
- When swallowed it is not absorbed intact, and EFSA found no need to set a numerical acceptable daily intake.
- It is not made with ethylene oxide and is not related to PEGs.
More information
Microcrystalline cellulose is made by treating alpha-cellulose, obtained as a pulp from fibrous plant material, with mineral acids. The acid partly breaks down the cellulose chains, leaving the crystalline portion of the fibers as tiny particles. Nothing is chemically attached to the cellulose, which sets it apart from modified celluloses such as hydroxyethylcellulose or cellulose gum.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel included microcrystalline cellulose in its 2009 amended safety assessment of cellulose and related polymers and concluded that it is safe as used in cosmetics, where it had been reported at concentrations up to 57 percent.
In its 2018 re-evaluation of celluloses as food additives, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) found that microcrystalline cellulose is not absorbed intact from the gut, although gut bacteria may ferment some of it in the large intestine. EFSA found no concern for genotoxicity and detected no carcinogenic properties, and it concluded that there was no need for a numerical acceptable daily intake and no safety concern at the reported uses and use levels.
On cosmetic labels, look for “microcrystalline cellulose.” In foods sold in Europe it may be listed as E 460.
Sources: EFSA: Re-evaluation of celluloses E 460(i), E 460(ii), E 461-E 469 as food additives (2018); Cosmetic Ingredient Review: Quick reference table of safety conclusions (2016)
