TEXTURES
When texture becomes a performance parameter
Angèle Gazon - Solabia
In modern personal care, texture is no longer just a pleasant extra. It has become a defining parameter of product performance. The way a gel flows, spreads, breaks on the skin, or releases water shapes the consumer’s perception of efficacy and quality. Texture also determines how easily products can be layered, combined, and integrated into increasingly sophisticated skin care routines. Over the past decade, consumer expectations
have evolved dramatically. The rise of holistic beauty rituals and multi-step routines has shifted the market toward ultralight, water-fresh formats— fluid gels, weightless emulsions, and serums that glide effortlessly and leave a refined, non-tacky finish. East Asian beauty routines, particularly those
associated with Japanese and Korean skin care concepts, have strongly accelerated this evolution. These approaches emphasize hydration, layering, and comfort, favouring aqueous systems that feel fresh and breathable on the skin rather than occlusive or heavy. For formulators, this trend creates a clear
technical challenge. Achieving such textures requires water-structuring agents capable of delivering strong rheological control at very low concentrations, while preserving clarity, stability, and elegant sensory properties. Historically, formulators have had to choose between two distinct families of thickening technologies. Synthetic polymers—such as carbomers and
acrylate copolymers—are widely appreciated for their high thickening efficiency, predictable rheology, and excellent sensorial profiles. They create cohesive gels that break cleanly during application, producing the fresh and non-stringy textures consumers associate with premium products. Natural polysaccharides, including xanthan
gum, sclerotium gum, or glucomannan, offer a different value proposition. They are renewable, biodegradable, and compatible with clean-label positioning. However, they often bring formulation challenges: stringiness, tackiness, limited electrolyte tolerance, and the need for relatively high use levels to achieve comparable viscosity. For years, the industry has faced a gap between
these two worlds. The unmet need has been clear: a natural gelling system capable of approaching the performance of synthetic benchmarks without sacrificing sustainability. To address this long-standing formulation
challenge, PolymerExpert, part of the Solabia Group, developed an optimized synergistic
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interaction gel (SIG) technology - ViscoPure®. This innovation explores how controlled polysaccharide interactions can unlock a new generation of natural gelling systems capable of approaching the performance of synthetic benchmarks.
Engineering synergy: the concept behind advanced SIG technology One promising approach relies on the concept of synergistic interaction gels (SIG) — systems in which multiple polysaccharides interact cooperatively to create structures that are stronger than the sum of their parts. Synergy between certain gums is well known.
The interaction between xanthan gum and glucomannan, for example, has been studied for years and is known to produce stronger gels than either polymer alone. Yet traditional combinations rarely reach the level of performance required for modern cosmetic textures, particularly when formulators aim for very low polymer concentrations. The next generation of SIG systems takes this
concept further through controlled molecular design and optimization of the interacting polymers. Rather than simply blending two gums, the polysaccharide
components are carefully modified and monitored so that their intermolecular interactions become more efficient and spatially organized. The resulting engineered SIG network
forms a cohesive three-dimensional structure capable of structuring water far more efficiently than conventional natural gums. Microscopic observations provide striking evidence of this architecture. Scanning electron microscopy of hydrated
gels reveals a dense honeycomb-like network, composed of interconnected pores. This organized microstructure differs from the more heterogeneous networks typically formed by standard polysaccharide gels. This structural organization has all its
importance. It is precisely this fine, uniform mesh that enables the system to deliver strong mechanical integrity while remaining extremely lightweight in formulation. In practical terms, the engineered
polysaccharide complex behaves less like a traditional gum and more like a high-precision hydrogel base, capable of structuring water efficiently while maintaining transparency and smooth flow.
May 2026 PERSONAL CARE MAGAZINE
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