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

What is the recommended viscosity of Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose (HPMC)?

The main raw materials for Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose (HPMC) include refined cotton, chloromethane, epichlorohydrin, and other materials such as soda ash, acid, toluene, isopropanol, etc.

Is there any relationship between powder loss in putty and HPMC?

HPMC has three functions in putty powder: thickening, water retention, and facilitating construction. It does not participate in any reaction. The formation of bubbles in putty powder can be caused by two reasons: (1) Excessive water content. (2) Applying another layer on top before the bottom layer has dried, which can also lead to the formation of bubbles.

Is there any relationship between powder loss in putty and HPMC?

In the application of HPMC in putty powder, it plays three roles: thickening, water retention, and facilitating construction. Thickening: Cellulose can thicken the mixture, maintain uniform suspension, and prevent sagging. Water retention: It slows down the drying process of putty powder and assists in the reaction of lime and calcium in water. Construction: Cellulose acts as a lubricant, improving the workability of the putty powder. HPMC does not participate in any chemical reactions; it only serves as an auxiliary agent. When putty powder is mixed with water and applied to the wall, a chemical reaction occurs because new substances are formed. However, if the putty powder is scraped off the wall, ground into powder, and reused, it is not suitable because a new substance (calcium carbonate) has already formed. The main components of lime and calcium powder are Ca(OH)2, CaO, and a small amount of CaCO3. The reaction can be represented as: CaO + H2O = Ca(OH)2 — Ca(OH)2 + CO2 = CaCO3 ↓ + H2O. Under the action of water and carbon dioxide in the air, lime and calcium carbonate are formed. HPMC only assists in water retention and the better reaction of lime and calcium; it does not participate in any reactions itself.

How to judge the quality of HPMC?

For putty powder, a viscosity of around 100,000 is generally sufficient, while mortar requires a higher viscosity, around 150,000, to be effective. Moreover, the most important function of HPMC is water retention, followed by thickening. In putty powder, as long as it has good water retention and a lower viscosity (70,000-80,000), it can still be used. Of course, a higher viscosity provides relatively better water retention. However, when the viscosity exceeds 100,000, the impact of viscosity on water retention becomes less significant.

News

06

Mar., 2025

Haoshuo appeared at Interlakokraska 2025 bringing HPMC to explore the Eurasian market

Hebei Haoshuo Chemical Co., Ltd. will be present at the Moscow International Paint and Coatings Industry Exhibition (Interlakokraska 2025) from March 18 to 21, 2025, with booth number 21C80.
28

Feb., 2025

Hebei Haoshuo Chemical shines at the Egypt Coatings Show in Egypt, Middle East, with fruitful results

From February 23 to 25, 2025, Hebei Haoshuo Chemical Co., Ltd. appeared at the Cairo Paints Exhibition in Egypt, Middle East, and shined at this international event with excellent products and services.
18

Feb., 2025

HEC Powder Uses | Industrial-Grade Hydroxyethyl Cellulose Solutions

Discover how HEC powder products enhance paints, construction materials, pharmaceuticals & cosmetics. Trusted supplier, bulk pricing, ISO-certified. Request free samples!
05

Feb., 2025

Haoshuo Chemical appears at the 2025 Egyptian Coatings Show, leading the new trend of building materials additives

The 2025 Egyptian Coatings Show, which has attracted the attention of the global chemical industry, will be grandly opened at the Cairo International Exhibition Center in Egypt from February 23 to 25.