HYDROXYETHYLCELLULOSE

📋 Quick facts

Description: HYDROXYETHYLCELLULOSE — thickener, texture stabilizer.

All Functions: thickener, texture stabilizer

Quick Facts:

• Category: other

Proven Benefits At A Glance:

• Hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC) is a water-soluble, biodegradable cellulose derivative used in skincare and cosmetics
• It’s biocompatible and nontoxic, making it suitable for topical application
• HEC can be formulated into gels with good spreadability and prolonged contact time on skin
• It has mucoadhesive properties, meaning it can adhere to skin and mucosal surfaces
• HEC hydrogels can deliver other active ingredients and maintain stable formulations over time

⚗️ Chemical Overview

Hydroxyethyl cellulose is a polysaccharide derivative with gel thickening, emulsifying, bubble-forming, water-retaining and stabilizing properties. It is used as a key ingredient in many household cleaning products, lubricants and cosmetics due to its non-ionic and water-soluble nature. It is often used as an ingredient in ophthalmic pharmaceutical preparations such as artificial tear solutions and adjunct agent in topical drug formulations to facilitate the delivery of drugs with hydrophobic character. component of contact lens wetting solutions; aldiamed is an artificial saliva; RN given refers to parent cpd

Source(s): DrugBank, Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), via PubChem

📊 Comedogenicity

🛡️ Safety rating

Safety tier is a starting heuristic from regulatory status and comedogenic rating, not a dermatological verdict — see our Terms for the full disclaimer. Research confidence reflects how many real cited studies back this ingredient, not the strength of their findings.

🌍 Regulatory Status

💧 Skin Type Compatibility

Derived from this ingredient’s irritancy potential and comedogenicity rating against the needs of each skin type — e.g. oily and acne-prone skin are marked down for pore-clogging ingredients, sensitive skin for irritants. A starting heuristic, not a dermatological verdict.

⚠️ Don’t Combine With

📚 Research & Evidence

🔬 The Science

Hydroxyethylcellulose is a cellulose derivative—meaning it’s derived from plant material—that dissolves in water and is non-ionic, which in chemistry terms means it doesn’t carry an electrical charge (Int J Biol Macromol, 2020). The ingredient is broadly used in cosmetics and personal care products because it’s biocompatible (safe for skin contact), biodegradable (breaks down naturally), and nontoxic. #1: HEC functions as a gel base with desirable texture properties. Research shows that HEC hydrogels exhibit “pseudoplastic behavior with thixotropy”—essentially, this means the gel flows more easily when you spread it but stays put once applied, providing good spreadability (J Pharm Sci, 2025).

#2: The gels remain stable over time, maintaining consistent pH, density, and viscosity over at least 30 days (J Pharm Sci, 2025). #3: HEC has mucoadhesive properties, meaning it can stick to and stay in contact with skin and other tissues. Research evaluating ocular (eye) formulations confirmed HEC’s “mucoadhesive properties” using tensile strength testing, and this adhesion extended the time the formulation remained on the ocular surface compared to conventional drops (Int J Pharm, 2020). This same property would theoretically benefit skincare products by increasing contact time with the skin. #4: HEC can serve as a delivery matrix for active ingredients.

When liposomes (tiny spheres designed to carry drugs or actives) were incorporated into HEC hydrogels, the system maintained good spreadability while achieving prolonged release of the active ingredient and improved skin penetration (J Pharm Sci, 2025). In wound healing research, HEC gel successfully served as a carrier for fibroblasts (skin-repairing cells), supporting their activity in promoting tissue regeneration (Biomedicines, 2024). The sources document HEC’s utility in formulation but contain limited direct evidence of standalone skincare benefits. The research is primarily focused on HEC’s role as a delivery vehicle and base ingredient rather than demonstrating independent skin benefits.

📄 Related Research

Matched by search — not necessarily verified support for every statement above.

• Noreen A et al. (2020). A review on grafting of hydroxyethylcellulose for versatile applications. Int J Biol Macromol.
• Carvalho GSG et al. (2025). Liposomes containing sorbitan monolaurate incorporated in hydroxyethylcellulose hydrogels for topical delivery of 5-fluorouracil: rheological characterization, skin penetration and cytotoxicity study. J Pharm Sci.
• Destruel PL et al. (2020). Novel in situ gelling ophthalmic drug delivery system based on gellan gum and hydroxyethylcellulose: Innovative rheological characterization, in vitro and in vivo evidence of a sustained precorneal retention time. Int J Pharm.
• Fayazpour F et al. (2006). Physicochemical and transfection properties of cationic Hydroxyethylcellulose/DNA nanoparticles. Biomacromolecules.
• Novosad YA et al. (2024). The Wound-Healing Effect of a Novel Fibroblasts-Impregnated Hydroxyethylcellulose Gel in a Rat Full-Thickness Burn Model: A Preclinical Study. Biomedicines.

🧴 Products Containing HYDROXYETHYLCELLULOSE

• nivea hand cream 3 in 1 repaircare
• Balea, Balea professional Glossy blond Spülung, naturblondes und blondiertes Haar
• Henkel, Göt2b Matt-Paste Strand Matte
• Just Glide Just Glide Anal
• Glynt Derma Shampoo
• Nivea Nivea for Men Cool Kick Anti-Transpirant Deodorant ROLL-ON, 50 ML
• Isana Deo Roll-On Fresh
• Essence Essence I Love Extreme 01 Black Volume Mascara
• MAXIM Markenprodukte, Pure & Basic Men Gentlemen’s Rasiergel, sensitiv mit Aloe Vera & Panthenol
• Hair System by Watsons Micellar Botanical Purifying Shampoo
• ColourB4 Effaceur de coloration
• John Frieda FRIZZ esse Traumlocken
• face
• Boots Silky lubricant
• Facetheory Glow-C Cream Cleanser
• L’OREAL NORGE AS Preferance 1 Napoli
• L’OREAL NORGE AS Preferance 4.15 Caracas
• Laab MEN Multi-Booster Ultralekki krem nawilżająco-kojący
• Venita Perfect Intensive Color Creme 180 Cyclamen
• Colgate-Palmolive, Elmex, Gaba elmex
• Gillette, P&G, Procter & Gamble Gillette Fusion Proglide
• Hairssime Idela Curl
• proraso sapone tutte le barbe
• Proraso Sapone (Barbe Dure)
• love beauty and planet argan oil & lavander lotion
• Lutsine E45 Lutsine Eryplast Pate à L’eau Soin Des Fesses 75G
• Le Petit Olivier Savon lique d’Alep
• Les Cosmétiques Design Paris, Nectar of Beauty Après-shampooing raviveur de couleur
• I Provenzali, saponificio giannasso Puro sapone liquido al karité
• Vitanove Après-shampooing Oléo-Nutrition
• Président
• Vania Kotydia Tolérance Optimale Gel de toilette intime doux
• Deliplus facial clean
• La Toja Espuma de afeitar
• L’OREAL NORGE AS L’Oréal Paris Telescopic Black Mascara
• l-oreal Casting crème gloos
• L’OREAL NORGE AS Casting Creme Gloss 415 Marron Glace
• L’OREAL NORGE AS Casting Creme Gloss 535 Chocolat
• L’OREAL NORGE AS Casting Creme Gloss 323 Choc Noir
• Beiersdorf Nivea Ansiktsmaske Urban Skin Radience 1stk