Ingredient

SILICA

Name / description

Silica, Silicon Dioxide

Function(s) of this ingredient in cosmetic products

ABRASIVE

Removes dental plaque or dirt from the skin surface through a grinding / polishing effect

ABSORBENT

Takes up finely dispersed substances

ANTICAKING

Prevents powdered products from caking / sticking together

BULKING

Reduces the density of cosmetic products by swelling

OPACIFYING

Reduces transparency and translucency by clouding the product

VISCOSITY CONTROLLING

Increases or decreases the viscosity of cosmetic products

Origin

mineral

Occurrence in cosmetics

In various products (eg toothpaste, decorative cosmetics, makeup, powder, hair colourations, hairstyling products) as abrasive (abrasion agent), filler, anti-caking agent, drying agent, thickener etc

Occurrence in other products

Both natural silica (quartz sand) and synthetically produced (pyrogenic) silicon dioxide (also referred to as synthetically amorphous silica) has a widespread use in many industrial areas: in the building sector, in ceramics and glass production, in the plastics and rubber industry (eg in car tyres), in the semiconductor technology as well as in medicinal products and foodstuffs

Background information on use in cosmetics

Silica (silicon dioxide, quartz, quartz sand) is an inorganic (mineral) solid and is mainly widespread in nature in the form of sand. Silica is the main component of the earth’s crust and both chemically and thermally very stable (inert). In cosmetics it is primarily to be found in synthetically produced (amorphous, ie non-crystalline) silica. Silica (silicon dioxide) can absorb up to 40 % moisture. It is used as an adsorption agent for liquids, as a builder for the production of gels and for the stabilisation of suspensions and emulsions. In powders it increases the throwing power, adherence and absorbing capacity.

Further information

Concerning nano-scale silicon dioxide, see INCI name SILICA (NANO)

Belongs to the following substance groups

Abrasives / Abrasive agents / Polishing agents

Opacifiers / Pearlescent substances

Thickening agents / consistency regulators

Regulating cosmetics

Cosmetics Ingredients are subject to regulation. Please note, different regulations may apply to cosmetic ingredients outside the EU.

Understanding your cosmetics

How are cosmetics kept safe in Europe?

Strict laws make sure that cosmetics and personal care products sold in the European Union are safe for people to use. Companies, national and European regulatory authorities share the responsibility of keeping cosmetic products safe.

What should I know about endocrine disruptors?

Some ingredients used in cosmetic products have been claimed to be ‘endocrine disruptors’ because they have the potential to mimic some of the properties of our hormones. Just because something has the potential to mimic a hormone does not mean it will disrupt our endocrine system. Many substances, including natural ones, mimic hormones but very few, and these are mostly potent medicines, have ever been shown to cause disruption of the endocrine system. The rigorous product safety assessments by qualified, scientific experts that companies are legally obliged to carry out cover all potential risks, including potential endocrine disruption.

Are cosmetics tested on animals? No!

In the European Union, testing cosmetics on animals has been fully banned since 2013. Over the last 30 years, long before a ban was in place, the cosmetics and personal care industry has invested in research and development to pioneer alternatives to animal testing tools to assess the safety of cosmetics ingredients and products.

What about allergens in cosmetics?

Many substances, natural or man-made, have the potential to cause an allergic reaction. An allergic reaction occurs when a person’s immune system reacts to substances that are harmless to most people. A substance that causes an allergic reaction is called an allergen. Cosmetics and personal care products may contain ingredients that can be allergenic for some people. This does not mean that the product is not safe for others to use.

Database

Cosmetics matter to people and play an important role in our everyday life. On average European consumers use over seven different cosmetics daily. You too? It’s only natural that you want to know more about the ingredients in those products.

In the digital world we live in, there’s a deluge of information on cosmetics. However, it can be difficult to know which sources are reliable. COSMILE Europe is a European cosmetic ingredient database that offers reliable, verified and scientifically supported information on almost 30,000 ingredients used in cosmetics.

This database will help you understand why certain ingredients are in your cosmetic products; which properties they have and much more. The database is currently available in fourteen languages with more to come.

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