Ingredient

GLUCONIC ACID

Name / description

Gluconic Acid


Function(s) of this ingredient in cosmetic products

CHELATING

Binds metal ions which could negatively affect the stability and / or appearance of cosmetics

PERFUMING

Part of perfume oils and / or flavours


Origin

synthetic


Background information on use in cosmetics

Fruit acids (INCI: eg CITRIC ACID or OXALIC ACID) become increasingly popular in cosmetic products and application. They make skin flakes and rough areas disappear, the skin becomes smoother and fine lines and wrinkles are reduced. In higher concentrations fruit acids dissolve the bonds of the increasingly accumulated dead skin cells of the stratus corneum and hence support their shedding. The natural new cell formation is indirectly promoted and supported and the elasticity of the skin is improved. In the event of oily skin fruit acids prevent the formation of spots and skin impurities. In this way the skin texture is altogether refined, the skin appears clearer and fresher. Fruit acids are added in low concentrations to some creams. They are for instance obtained from lemons, grapes or apples or synthetically produced. The use of fruit acids should be precisely adapted to the skin texture. The sensitive skin can, for instance, have an irritant reaction and not every skin tolerates an excessively frequent application of highly concentrated products. This is why the products available on the market today are particularly carefully selected in terms of concentration of the active ingredients and / or the adjustment of the pH value. After the application of higher concentrated fruit acid products, sun protection is important. A corresponding reference is to be found on the products. Fragrances or mixtures of fragrances are often referred to in the cosmetics area as "perfuming agents" or "perfume oils" or "parfum oils". On the cosmetic products they are declared with the INCI name "PARFUM". These are undiluted individual substances or their mixtures which originate from natural raw materials or can be produced (semi-) synthetically. They are starting materials for the production of perfume, eau de parfum, eau de toilette, eau de cologne and other perfumed cosmetic products. The average content of fragrances amounts in perfume to 15-30 %, in eau de parfum to 10-14 %, in eau de toilette to 6-9 %, in eau de cologne to 3-5 % as well as in skin creams, shampoos, hair and deodorant sprays to approximately 0.2-1 % and approximately 1-3 in deodorant sticks. The perfume oils include essential oils, resinoids and absolutes. The sources are, amongst others, flowers, leaves and stems, fruits and fruit peels or roots of plants; woods, grasses or herbs, needles, resins and balsams. Moreover, only compounds isolated from natural products such as aldehydes, ketones, esters, alcohols etc. are used (geraniol, citronellal, citral, eugenol, menthol) as well as semi-synthetic (citronellol, geranyl acetate, jonone) and synthetic scents (eg phenylethyl alcohol and linalool) are used. Scents of animal origin such as musk and ambra are only rarely used.


Belongs to the following substance groups


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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Database

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