Cyclodextrins

Cyclodextrin is a cyclic oligosaccharide that comes from starch, typically corn or potato starch. The production involves enzymatic conversion using cyclodextrin glucanotransferases (CGTases), which hydrolyze the starch into linear dextrin and then cyclize them into ring structures. The resulting cyclodextrins are separated, purified, and dried to remove impurities and moisture. Finally, they are ground into a fine powder and packaged for use in cosmetics.

Typical cyclodextrins contain a number of glucose monomers ranging from six to eight units in a ring, creating a cone shape:

• α (alpha)-cyclodextrin: 6 glucose subunits
• β (beta)-cyclodextrin: 7 glucose subunits
• γ (gamma)-cyclodextrin: 8 glucose subunits

Cyclodextrin is an ingredient that works mostly in the background to enhance solubility and stabilize other ingredients in a formulation. It provides a controlled release of active ingredients, prolonging their effects and improving their efficacy. Further, it is also used for its odor-masking and texture-enhancing benefits.

This ingredient is popular in the cosmetic industry since it is versatile, water-soluble, and has the ability to form inclusion complexes. It is also good for the environment since it is biodegradable.

beta-Cyclodextrin is the most used in industrial applications, compared to the other cyclodextrins, owing to their solubility and greater stability in water, which promotes the formation of stable inclusion complexes.