kappa-Carrageenan
INCI Name: kappa-Carrageenan
Purposes: Bulking Agent , Viscosity Control
There are three types of carrageenan - kappa, iota and lambda. We use kappa-carrageenan in our hydrogel eye patches as a gelling agent. Carrageenan is a polysaccharide extracted from red seaweed. When different salts are combined with it, the quality of the gel can vary. Shaving creams, shampoos and cleansers all have been seen to incorporate this ingredient. The gelation mechanism occurs via the highly flexible molecules curling as a result of the interaction with salt ions to form helical structures. The more tightly curled the structures, the stiffer the gel. One interesting property of carrageenan gels is that they smoothen out or become less viscous under lateral pressure (shear), and their previous viscosity is recovered once that shear is removed. One application of this feature is for pump packaging.
SKIN CARE WITH kappa-Carrageenan
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