Chitosan in Cosmetics

Innovation is crucial when formulating cosmetics to meet the ever-changing market expectations and regulations placed on the industry. Mushroom chitosan is perfect for consumers who prioritize safety and naturality in their skincare products due to its:

1. Biocompatible: Gentle on all skin types, even the most sensitive.
2. Biodegradable: Breaks down naturally, minimizing environmental impact.
3. Non-toxic: Safe for regular use, unlike synthetic ingredients.
4. Low-allergenic: Minimal risk of irritation or adverse reactions.
5. Moisturizing: Fuels elastin production and offers powerful antioxidants to decelerate skin aging.

Chitosan maintains the body's natural states, strengthens defenses against environmental aggressions, delays aging signs, and addresses other cosmetic challenges.

Chitosan is a biologically active molecule known for its broad range of beneficial properties:

• Antimicrobial: Chitosan's unique molecular structure disrupts bacterial cell membranes, combating acne and preventing skin infections. Reduces the need for preservatives by inhibiting bacterial growth.
• Antifungal: Fights fungal infections on the skin, preventing conditions like athlete's foot and yeast infections.
• Anti-inflammatory: Reduces redness, swelling, and irritation, soothing sensitive skin and promoting a more even skin tone.
• Collagen Stimulation: Research suggests chitosan may stimulate collagen production in the skin.
• Cell Regenerative: Encourages the production of new cells and tissue regeneration, improving skin texture and reducing the appearance of scars.
• Anti-aging: Minimizes fine lines, wrinkles, and age spots by boosting collagen production and improving skin elasticity.
• Moisture Retention: Binds with water, forming a protective film on the skin that locks in moisture, keeping skin hydrated.
• Wound Healing: Speeds up the healing process of cuts, scrapes, and burns by promoting blood clotting and creating a protective barrier.

Using chitosan in skincare products allows brands to create effective solutions for fighting acne and aging, promoting hydration, and enhancing wound healing.

Chitosan Cosmetic Uses

Chitosan's excellent adhesion and film-forming properties make it perfect as an:

• Active Ingredient: Enhances product effectiveness with its natural physiological properties.
• Delivery System: Prolongs contact between active agents and skin, improving penetration and controlled-release formulations, ideal for moisturizers.
• Antioxidant Agent: Prevents the oxidation of key ingredients like essential oils or vitamins.
• Emulsion Stabilizer: Improves the stability of creams and lotions without requiring irritating surfactants.
• Viscosity Controller: Acts as a thickener in emulsions and gels to create a rich skin feel.
• Film-forming Agent: Provides a smooth, even application of products, including foundations and BB creams.
• UV Protection: Encapsulates hydrophilic sunscreen agents, increasing water resistance and providing longer-lasting sun protection by slowly releasing active ingredients.

Chitosan supports innovation in personal care products. It allows formulators to create multifunctional cosmetics without using undesirable chemicals because chitosan is biocompatible with glucose, oils, fats, and acids.

Chitosan promotes the skin's natural protective barrier and helps maintain:

Along with its medicinal and cosmetic uses for the skin, chitin and its derivative chitosan have proven valuable in hair care products, including:

• Shampoo.
• Conditioner.
• Hair-styling gel and lotions.
• Hair sprays.
• Permanent wave agents.
• Hair dyes and rinses.

Chitosan has a natural affinity to keratin, the main component of human hair. Damaged hair often has negative charges that can't be repaired naturally. Cationic polymers like chitosan form a film on these negatively charged surfaces. This film increases hair softness and strength by interacting with the hair's keratin, creating a protective, elastic layer.

With its unique properties of binding water, stabilizing emulsions, and film-forming, chitosan reduces the need for fillers. This versatile biopolymer is ideal for gels, aerosols, emulsions, sticks, and foams in hair care formulations.

Chitosan Benefits for Hair Care:

Chitosan helps remineralize and harden teeth. Its antimicrobial, antifungal, wound healing and bioadhesive properties make it ideal for:

• Toothpaste (desensitizing agent).
• Mouthwash.
• Dental cements.
• Periodontal dressings.
• Dental gels.
• Drug delivery systems.
• Dental brushes.

Chitosan fights plaque, gingivitis, dental caries, and other oral diseases while promoting remineralization and wound healing. It can be incorporated into various dental products, from OTC oral hygiene products to specialized clinical materials.

Chitosan Benefits for Oral Health

Chitosan is nothing if not versatile in a wide range of cosmetic applications:

• Creams and moisturizers.
• Lotions and serums.
• Face masks and treatments.
• Nail polishes, lacquers, enamels, and varnishes.
• Deodorants and antiperspirants.

Chitosan not only serves as an active ingredient in numerous medicinal and cosmetic products, but by harnessing its natural properties to encapsulate other beneficial ingredients, delivery of these ingredients to the intended location is ensured.

Here's why mushroom chitosan is better than traditional crustacean-derived chitosan:

1. Sustainable and Renewable: Reishi mushrooms offer a natural, renewable chitosan source with high levels of beta-glucan. Mushrooms are scalable, consistently reliable, need fewer chemicals for extraction, and avoid ocean pollutants residue.
2. Year-round Availability: Mushrooms can be cultivated in controlled environments, ensuring a consistent and high-quality supply of chitin for chitosan production all year round.
3. Simplified Extraction: Mushroom cell walls contain fewer inorganic materials. This eliminates harsh demineralization treatments, reducing costs and contamination risks.
4. Eco-friendly Production: Milder, enzymatic, or organic acid extraction methods minimize environmental impact compared to traditional crustacean shell processing.
5. Consistent Quality: Controlled cultivation ensures uniform growth conditions and minimizes variations, producing more reliable and standardized chitosan.
6. Energy Efficient: The absence of demineralization significantly reduces energy requirements, lowering costs and carbon footprints.

Harnessing the benefits of mushroom chitosan allows cosmetic companies to create sustainable, high-quality, eco-friendly products that cater to modern consumer preferences.

Well Shine Biopolymer is a vegan, cosmetic-grade Chitosan sustainably sourced from mushrooms rich in beta-glucan. It meets stringent purity and quality standards to ensure safety and efficacy:

• High Purity: Free from contaminants and impurities, ensuring consistency and reliability in formulations. With controlled production, we can fine-tune chitosan’s properties to best suit your company’s needs.
• Stringently Tested: Each batch is traceable and sustainable. Rigorous quality control ensures the absence of heavy metals, microbiological contamination, and other harmful substances.
• Rich in Beta-Glucan: Beta-glucan has antioxidant, immune-boosting, and reparative benefits. It enhances hydration by acting as a humectant to attract moisture to the skin. It outperforms hyaluronic acid in skin hydration by more than 20%.
• Vegan and Allergen-Free: Sourced from mushrooms, Well Shine’s chitosan is suitable for vegan products and poses minimal risk of allergic reactions.
• Secure and Responsible Sourcing: Our manufacturing process minimizes ecological footprints and avoids ocean pollutants.

Approved by the U.S. Personal Care Products Council (PCPC), Well Shine Biopolymer has these proven benefits:

• Scar Reduction: Helps heal wounds and visibly reduces scars for smoother skin.
• Anti-aging: Boosts elastin and provides antioxidants to slow skin aging (See Figure 1).
• Anti-inflammatory: Soothes and repairs inflamed skin (See Figures 2 and 3).

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Unlike crustacean-origin chitosan, Well Shine Biopolymer is naturally free from proteins and pigment impurities that can cause serious side effects.

Well Shine Biopolymer INCI Certificate

Cosmetic Customization for Optimal Performance

We can modify chitosan at the molecular level, increasing its solubility and stability to make it more versatile as a biopolymer in your cosmetics.

Our advanced deacetylation process ensures a high degree of deacetylation (DD), creating a more reactive and functional chitosan. This enhances your cosmetic formulations while being gentle on all skin types.

Incorporating Well Shine Biopolymer opens new possibilities for your company, letting you create additional high-performing, sustainable product lines.

Our experts can work with you to provide customized solutions, ensuring you have the highest quality Chitosan with the right degree of deacetylation, molecular weight, and viscosity.