Dextran
AKA “Dextran, polydextrose”
Ingredient
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Ingredient Facts
Dextran
AKA: Polydextrose
Ingredient · Binding · EWG: 4
Synthetic
Not Clean
Dextran
Effective at 2.5%
CAS #
9004-54-0
Form
Powder
See origin →
Functions
Binding
Viscosity Controlling
Anti-Inflammatory
Boosts Collagen
Antimicrobial
Holds ingredients together
Controls product thickness
Traditional Use
A polysaccharide produced through bacterial fermentation, discovered in the 20th century. Used in cosmetics since the 1960s as a humectant and thickening agent, originally developed for medical applications.
Skin Types
●all-skin-types
Best For
Dryness
Pregnancy & Breastfeeding Safe
Yes
EWG
4
CIR
Safe as used
Pregnancy
Yes
CIR Safety Findings
Not a Sensitizer
medical-approval
all-shades-safe
Concentration Guide
5e-06%
5.0%
0%100%
Effective Range
CIR reported use: 0.00001-5 | 0.000005-0.2
Regulatory Agencies
Carboxymethyl Dextran
European Commission
EU Cosmetic Ingredient Database (CosIng)
Dextran
European Commission
EU Cosmetic Ingredient Database (CosIng)
Dextran Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
European Commission
EU Cosmetic Ingredient Database (CosIng)
Dextran Sulfate
European Commission
EU Cosmetic Ingredient Database (CosIng)
Sodium Carboxymethyl Dextran
European Commission
EU Cosmetic Ingredient Database (CosIng)
Sodium Dextran Sulfate
European Commission
EU Cosmetic Ingredient Database (CosIng)
Carboxymethyl Dextran
Environmental Working Group (EWG)
EWG Skin Deep Cosmetics Database
Dextran Sulfate
Environmental Working Group (EWG)
EWG Skin Deep Cosmetics Database
Sodium Carboxymethyl Dextran
Environmental Working Group (EWG)
EWG Skin Deep Cosmetics Database
Sodium Dextran Sulfate
Environmental Working Group (EWG)
EWG Skin Deep Cosmetics Database
Growth inhibition of human melanoma tumor cells by the combination of sodium phenylacetate (NaPA) and substituted dextrans and one NaPA-dextran conjug
Gervelas C, Avramoglou T, Crépin M, Jozefonvicz J
Anti-cancer drugs, 2002
Carboxymethyl Dextran-Based Nanomicelle Coatings on Microarc Oxidized Titanium Surface for Percutaneous Implants: Drug Release, Antibacterial Properti
Ye W, Zhou M, Zhang L, Yu J, Fan J et al.
BioMed research international, 2022
Verified Jun 2026
Data: CosIng · EWG · CIR