A Cool Head Without Thickeners

Have you noticed that our Aloe Vera Gel is runnier than most other aloe vera gel products?

That's because we don't use any thickener.

The good news first:
It still works, soaks in noticeably faster and doesn't feel sticky! That's because we deliberately leave out thickeners, fragrances and fillers like glycerin and the like.

What are thickeners?

Thickeners are added to solutions — preferably water-based ones — to increase their viscosity (how thick they are).

Thickeners are substances that are primarily able to bind water. By withdrawing unbound water, the viscosity goes up. Most thickeners are linear or branched macromolecules (like polysaccharides or proteins) that can interact with one another through intermolecular forces such as hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic interactions or ionic bonds. In the cosmetics industry, xanthan is often used as a thickener to make products thicker (more gel-like). Under its English name Xanthan Gum it is used in countless cosmetic products. For example in lotions, shampoos, toothpaste and also in liquid soaps and in mascara.

What exactly is xanthan?

Xanthan is a naturally occurring polysaccharide. It is produced from sugary substrates with the help of bacteria and used as a food additive with the E number E415 as a thickening and gelling agent. Xanthan is approved under the EU Organic Regulation for the production of organic foods.

Why don't we use a thickener for our A Cool Head?

Quite simply: with all our products we aim to use as few ingredients as possible. In the Aloe Vera Gel we managed an aloe vera content of 99.6%, which wouldn't have been that high if we had bulked the gel up with thickener. On top of that, our A Cool Head doesn't feel sticky, unlike other products with xanthan. That's exactly what makes it nicer to use — the product soaks in faster and gets to work without feeling sticky.