MALTOOLIGOSYL GLUCOSIDE

📋 Quick facts

Description: MALTOOLIGOSYL GLUCOSIDE — hydration, film-forming.

All Functions: hydration, film-forming

Quick Facts:

• Category: humectant

Proven Benefits At A Glance:

• Maltooligosyl glucoside is a carbohydrate-derived ingredient used in skincare formulations
• Research shows it may help reduce irritation when combined with certain surfactants in baby bath products
• It’s produced through enzymatic conversion of maltooligosaccharides
• The sources are limited to specialized enzyme research and one safety study—consumer benefits are not well-established

📊 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

⚠️ Don’t Combine With

📚 Research & Evidence

🔬 The Science

Maltooligosyl glucoside is a carbohydrate ingredient created through enzymatic processes. Specifically, enzymes called maltooligosyl trehalose synthase and maltooligosyl trehalose trehalohydrolase catalyze chemical reactions that transform maltooligosaccharides (chains of glucose units) into different sugar compounds (Biosci Biotechnol Biochem, 1995). The ingredient itself appears in skincare as part of formulation strategies. In practical skincare applications, #1: maltooligosyl glucoside has been studied as part of a gentleness strategy—when combined with sodium laureth sulfate (a common but potentially irritating cleanser), panthenol, and Tween-28, it significantly reduced ocular (eye) irritation in an animal model used to test baby bath products (Toxics, 2025). However, this research was conducted in a very specific context (baby products tested for eye safety) and doesn’t establish standalone skincare benefits.

It’s important to note that the available research is primarily enzyme-focused and technical rather than consumer-outcome focused. The one safety-oriented study (Toxics, 2025) suggests the ingredient may play a supportive role in gentler formulations, but doesn’t describe how it would benefit adult skincare or address specific skin concerns like dryness, aging, or acne. The ingredient appears to function as a formulation component rather than an active treatment ingredient with direct skin benefits.

📄 Related Research

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

• Su L et al. (2019). High-efficiency expression of Sulfolobus acidocaldarius maltooligosyl trehalose trehalohydrolase in Escherichia coli through host strain and induction strategy optimization. Bioprocess Biosyst Eng.
• Gueguen Y et al. (2001). Characterization of the maltooligosyl trehalose synthase from the thermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus acidocaldarius. FEMS Microbiol Lett.
• Nakada T et al. (1995). Purification and properties of a novel enzyme, maltooligosyl trehalose synthase, from Arthrobacter sp. Q36. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem.
• Nakada T et al. (1995). Purification and characterization of a novel enzyme, maltooligosyl trehalose trehalohydrolase, from Arthrobacter sp. Q36. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem.
• He Q et al. (2025). From Safety Evaluation to Influencing Factors Analysis: A Comprehensive Investigation on Ocular Irritation of Baby Bath Products. Toxics.

🧴 Products Containing MALTOOLIGOSYL GLUCOSIDE

• Fisher-Price Hello Bathtime Baby Shampoo