Vol. 17 | Vol. 17 (3) – May / June 2022 | Column: SCIENCE FOR FORMULATORS

Silica in personal care applications

by cyb2025 23 May 2022

T. O'lenick 23 May 2022

colloidal silica

fumed silica

hydrated silica

silica

silicic acid

Silicon

Silicone

TONY O’LENICK
SurfaTech Corporation, Lawrenceville, Ga, USA

ABSTRACT

When formulating personal care products, aesthetics is an absolute requirement. Consumers simply will not accept even a well formulated product if it does not have the anticipated aesthetics. Silica is an additive that can provide important benefit to formulations and can be overlooked. Products formulated using silica can alter skin feel, mattify formulations, alter rheology and improve tactile qualities providing the highly prized dry powdery feel. The chemistry, nomenclature used and formulation of high performance products using this important class of raw materials is presented.

SILICON COMPOUNDS
There is a great deal of confusion related to molecules that contain silicon. Silicon is the 14th element. Silicon (Si) is on the periodic table directly below carbon. It is the second most abundant element on earth after oxygen (1). Elemental silicon is rare in nature but makes up 25% of the earth’s crust as the oxide of silicon. Elemental silicon is a shiny solid shown in figure 1 (2).

cyb2025

Sunscreen: Regulatory issues viewed by Cosmed

Latest issue

March /April 2026

View Issue

Content from magazine

“Contents from Magazine” offers curated articles and insights from the personal and home care industry, focusing on ingredients, innovative technologies, sustainability, and regulatory developments.

View all content