Under the industry wave of pure beauty, functional skin care, and sustainable consumption, the daily chemical industry is bidding farewell to traditional chemical raw materials and is moving towards a comprehensive iteration in the direction of natural safety, minimalist formula, high efficacy, and green biodegradability . The raw materials commonly used in traditional daily chemicals, such as synthetic thickeners, petroleum-based emulsifiers, plastic microbeads, and chemical film-forming resins, commonly have pain points such as high allergy risk, sticky skin feel, poor environmental compliance, and weak formula stability. It is difficult to meet the current high-end skin care needs of consumers and global plastic restrictions and ESG compliance standards.
As a new pure natural biomass material derived from plants and microorganisms, nanocellulose has broken through the performance bottleneck of traditional daily chemical raw materials and has become a core innovative raw material in the field of cosmetics and care by virtue of its unique nano-scale three-dimensional network structure, excellent biocompatibility and multi-functional formula adaptability. Currently, the nanocellulose used in mainstream applications is divided into three categories: plant nanofibrils (CNF), cellulose nanocrystals (CNC), and bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) . The three types of materials have complementary properties and segmented scenarios. They have fully covered all-day cosmetics such as skin care, skin care, makeup, sun protection, and oral care. They have become a core driver for the differentiated upgrade and green compliance transformation of high-end beauty brands.
1. Core material properties: natural hard core advantages suitable for daily chemical scenes
Nanocellulose is a polymer functional material prepared from natural cellulose through nano-modification. It retains the core properties of cellulose that are pure, non-irritating, and completely biodegradable. It also has the special physical and chemical properties of nanomaterials, which perfectly meets the core research and development needs of daily chemical products:
It is extremely safe and hypoallergenic and is derived from 100% natural biomass. It has no petroleum-based ingredients, no microplastics, and no heavy metals. Its biocompatibility reaches medical-grade standards. It is suitable for sensitive skin, infant and child care, medical and art post-repair and other stringent scenarios, and complies with new domestic and foreign beauty safety regulations.
The multi-functional formula has five core functions: thickening and suspension, emulsion stabilization, breathable film-forming, long-lasting moisturizing, and active sustained release. It can streamline the formula system and replace various traditional raw materials such as carbomer, xanthan gum, synthetic resin, and plastic pearlescent powder.
Excellent skin feel and texture. The nano-scale fiber structure can create a high-end skin feel that is refreshing and silky, with zero stickiness and no false smoothness. It eliminates the problems of traditional natural rubber drawing and heavy and stuffy skin, and is suitable for the creation of transparent and light luxury product textures.
Strong system stability has excellent salt resistance, polyol resistance, and high activity resistance. It can be adapted to various high-efficiency formulas such as nicotinamide, vitamin A, and fruit acids to solve industry problems such as delamination, precipitation, inactivation, and discoloration of daily chemical products.
Green, sustainable and completely biodegradable with zero environmental residue, it helps brands implement carbon neutrality and ESG development concepts and avoid international trade compliance risks such as the EU microplastics ban.
2. Three major categories of nanocellulose: accurately adapted to daily chemical segmentation scenarios
The three types of
nanocellulose have significant differences in structure and performance, forming a precise division of labor in the field of daily chemicals, providing refined selection solutions for brand formula research and development:
1. Bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) - the benchmark for high-end repair substrates
Prepared by microbial fermentation, it has a dense and uniform three-dimensional nano-network structure, with a water holding rate of more than 98%, and optimal biocompatibility. It focuses on high-end repair scenarios. It is the core raw material for medical beauty salons and lady-level skin care products. Its core applications are high-end patch masks, liquid masks, and post-operative cold compress repair masks.
2. Plant nanofibrils (CNF) - the mainstay of universal formula functions
It is prepared from natural plants such as wood and bamboo. It has high cost performance and excellent rheological properties. It is a universal functional raw material for daily chemical formulas. It is mainly used for thickening, suspending and emulsifying stability of essences, gels, lotions, creams and cleansing products. It is suitable for all kinds of high-end public daily chemical products.
3. Cellulose Nanocrystal (CNC) - the core raw material for cosmetics innovation
It has high crystallinity, large specific surface area, excellent optical properties, and unique physical structure and color development characteristics. It focuses on makeup innovation and highly active carrier scenarios. It can prepare environmentally friendly pearlescent pigments and color-producing sequins, and is also suitable for high-end applications such as powder dispersion and freeze-dried powder solidification.
3. Full track application: covering core categories of daily chemicals
(1) Functional skin care: Reconstruct high-end repair skin care system
1. High-end facial mask base material (BNC core application)
Different from traditional non-woven fabrics and silk membrane cloths, BNC nanofiber membranes have the ultimate fit and can closely fit the contours of the face without bubbles or dry edges. The ultra-high porosity structure can load 2.2 times the active ingredients of ordinary membrane cloths. At the same time, it has excellent sustained-release ability, which can delay the release of active ingredients such as VC, peptides, and plant essences, reduce skin irritation, and provide long-term nourishment and repair. After application, the membrane cloth can form a breathable protective film, effectively reducing transepidermal water loss. It is a golden base material for barrier repair of redness and sensitive skin after medical art. It is used in high-end repair series by international brands such as L'Oreal and Shiseido.
2. Essence, repair gel, water light gel (core application of CNF)
A transparent and stable three-dimensional colloidal network can be constructed with an ultra-low addition amount of 0.2%-0.8%, replacing traditional carbomer and acrylic synthetic thickeners. The product takes on a transparent jelly texture when left to rest, melts as soon as you apply it, is refreshing and non-sticky, and is suitable for all kinds of transparent and hydrating skin care products. At the same time, it is resistant to high salt and high concentration of active ingredients, and can stabilize harsh formulas such as high nicotinamide, high fruit acid, and retinoids to avoid product delamination, turbidity, and inactivation of activity. It is widely used in products such as brightening essences, redness-removing repair gels, and sleeping hydrating masks.
3. Emulsification system for lotions, creams, and repair creams
Relying on Pickering's natural emulsification mechanism, nanofibers can physically wrap oil droplets, significantly reducing the use of petroleum-based emulsifiers and achieving a minimalist and gentle formula. At the same time, it can improve the silkiness of the cream, quickly form a film after application, lock in moisture for a long time, and improve dry lines on the skin. It is suitable for dry and sensitive skin repair cream, anti-aging firming milk, body moisturizing milk and other products.
4. Lyophilized powder, ampoule active carrier
Modified CNF can prepare a porous aerogel structure, which can firmly absorb and wrap peptides, repair factors, VC derivatives and other easily deactivated active substances, greatly improving the storage stability of raw materials at room temperature. The product reconstitutes evenly, releases the activity gently, and takes effect gently to avoid the problem of strong irritation from highly active ingredients.
(2) Cleansing and cleaning: empowering natural high-end cleaning and care upgrades
The skin care track relies on the rheology and suspension advantages of nanocellulose to achieve texture upgrades and quality upgrades for natural skin care, becoming the standard raw material for high-end fragrance skin care and plant skin care.
In transparent shampoo, conditioner, and hair mask products, CNF can stabilize pearlescent flakes, essential oil microcapsules, and hair care silicon particles, making the transparent system non-turbid and non-settling after being stored for a long time, solving the pain points of traditional thickeners with high salt content and easy delamination. At the same time, the fiber can absorb and fill the gaps between hair scales, smooth hair frizz, reduce static knotting, and make hair smooth and fluffy after blow-drying.
In shower gel, scented shower gel, and hand soap, you can suspend scented beads and plant scrub particles to create a transparent and luxurious product texture. The foam is dense and long-lasting, and there is no slippery residue after rinsing, which is in line with the current market trend of natural and organic care. In addition, when used in facial cleansers and makeup removers, nanofibers can physically absorb makeup residue and facial oil, improving cleaning power while protecting the skin's sebum film, achieving a gentle cleansing experience that won't dry out the skin.
(3) Makeup and Beauty: Subvert tradition and create a new sustainable makeup ecosystem
Nanocellulose is a disruptive and innovative raw material in the field of cosmetics. It solves the industry pain points of traditional cosmetics such as fading, powder sticking, microplastics, and excessive heavy metals, and is in line with the global sustainable cosmetics development trend.
1. Environmentally friendly structural color makeup (core innovative application of CNC)
Traditional makeup pearls and glitter are mostly non-degradable PET plastic particles and mineral pearls, which pose risks of microplastic pollution and heavy metal residues, and have been restricted by policies in many countries. With its nano-ordered structure, CNC can present iridescent, pearlescent, and metallic luster through physical refraction of light. It does not require chemical pigments and heavy metals and is 100% biodegradable. It is an innovative raw material focused on the layout of international groups such as LVMH. It can be widely used in eye shadow, highlight, lip glaze, nail glitter, body glitter and other products, completely replacing traditional plastic glitter and chemical pearlescent pigments.
2. Functional additives for long-lasting makeup
In lipsticks and lip glazes, CNC can adsorb and lock pigment molecules, effectively improving the problems of cupping and color fading, while optimizing the smoothness of the paste to avoid drying out and sticking. In makeup primer, makeup setting spray, and base makeup products, it can form an ultra-thin breathable nano-protective film to improve powder adhesion, effectively prevent mask mottlement and makeup smearing, and replace traditional synthetic film-forming resins to achieve a makeup effect that is light, long-lasting, breathable, and not stuffy. In air cushions, loose powders, and powder cakes, the powder raw materials can be evenly dispersed to prevent agglomeration and create a soft-focus matte high-end makeup look.
(4) Sunscreen products: dual upgrades that take into account both protective power and skin feel.
Traditional sunscreens commonly have problems such as powder agglomeration and whitening, heavy and dull skin, poor waterproofing and sweat resistance, and formula layering. Nanocellulose can efficiently disperse physical sunscreen titanium dioxide and zinc oxide powders to avoid particle agglomeration, allowing the sunscreen to be applied evenly, thinly and compliantly, without any false whiteness or heaviness. At the same time, the film-forming properties of the fiber can enhance the waterproof and sweat-proof performance of the sunscreen film, reduce sunscreen loss, and help improve UV blocking capabilities. In addition, the polyhydroxyl structure of cellulose can lock in moisture for a long time, alleviate the problem of drying out of sunscreen products, take into account sunscreen protection and skin moisturizing and repair, and is suitable for all kinds of refreshing sunscreen lotions and sunscreen sprays.
(5) Segmented and featured daily chemicals: broadening the application boundaries of natural care
In addition to the core track, nanocellulose has shown unique advantages in many subdivided daily chemical scenarios: in oral care, it can be used in transparent mouthwash, whitening toothpaste, stable whitening particles and essential oil explosive beads, and the texture is mild and non-irritating; in the field of infant and child care, with its medical-grade safety attributes, it is suitable for zero-added mild products such as baby shower gel and moisturizer; in hair removal and repair products, it can stabilize the efficacy system, reduce irritation, and form a soothing protective film after application to relieve skin redness and pain.
4. Industry core values: Helping brands achieve multi-dimensional differentiated upgrades
1. Compliance value: avoiding industry policy risks
The global ban on microplastics and new safety regulations for beauty raw materials continue to tighten. Nanocellulose has no microplastics, no petrochemical ingredients, and is completely degradable. It perfectly adapts to domestic and foreign environmental protection and safety compliance requirements, helping brands avoid international trade barriers and market regulatory risks, and consolidate ESG brand value.
2. Product value: Create high-end differentiated selling points
Different from homogeneous traditional chemical formulas, nanocellulose has achieved a multi-dimensional upgrade of 'natural safety + high efficacy + top-notch skin feel + light luxury texture', which can create differentiated product labels such as pure beauty, medical beauty repair, and sustainable makeup, and enhance brand premium and market competitiveness.
3. Formula value: streamline the system, reduce costs and increase efficiency
One material has multiple functions of thickening, suspending, emulsifying, film-forming, fixing, and moisturizing. It can replace a variety of traditional additives, streamline the list of formula raw materials, reduce the complexity of formula development and production, improve product stability, and reduce after-sales quality problems.
5. Industry Outlook: Nanocellulose leads a new green future for daily chemicals
As consumers' demands for safe, mild, efficient, and environmentally friendly cosmetics continue to escalate, and as the large-scale preparation technology of nanocellulose continues to mature, its application in the field of daily chemicals will further deepen. From basic formula additives, we gradually upgraded to functional core raw materials, innovative makeup base materials, and green packaging supporting materials , comprehensively reconstructing the raw material system and product form of daily cosmetics.
In the future, nanocellulose will become the standard core material for high-end pure cosmetics and sustainable cosmetics, driving the daily chemical industry to completely get rid of its reliance on traditional chemicals and move towards a new development stage of naturalness, efficacy, safety and greenness .
