Hydroxypropyl Guar

What Is It?

Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba (Guar) GumSticky, polysaccharide substances exuded by plants that are gelatinous when moist but harden on drying. (also called Guar Gum) is a resinous material made from the guar bean. Guar Gum is a type of polysaccharideA large group of natural complex carbohydrates with the general formula (C6H10O5)n where ‘n’ is a large number. Polysaccarides are easily hydrolyzed into simple sugars. called galactomannan made from legume plants that consists of a polymannose backbone to which galactose groups are bound. Derivatives of Guar Gum that also may be used in cosmetics and personal care products include Hydroxypropyl Guar, Guar Hydroxpropyltrimonium Chloride and Hydroxypropyl Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride. Among these guar ingredients, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride is most frequently used in cosmetic products. It may be used in bath products, hair conditioners, hair dyes, other hair care products and skin care products. Guar Gum and the other guar derivatives may also be used in bath products, hair care products, shaving preparations and skin care products.

Why Is It Used?

The following functions have been reported for Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba (Guar) Gum and the compounds made from Guar Gum:

Antistatic agents

Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Hydroxypropyl Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride Binders

– Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba (Guar) Gum, Hydroxypropyl Guar EmulsionA mixture of two liquids that normally cannot be mixed, in which one liquid is dispersed in the other liquid as very fine droplets. Emulsifying agents are often used to help form the emulsion and stabilizing agents are used to keep the resulting emulsion from separating. The most common emulsions are oil-in-water emulsions (where oil droplets are dispersed in water) and water-in-oil emulsions (where water droplets are dispersed in oil). stabilizers

– Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba (Guar) Gum, Hydroxypropyl Guar Film formers

– Hydroxypropyl Guar Hair conditioning agents

– Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Hydroxypropyl Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride Skin-conditioning agents

miscellaneous – Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride Viscosit increasing agents
aqueous – Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba (Guar) Gum, Hydroxypropyl Guar, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride

Scientific Facts

Galactomannan polysaccharides, including Guar Gum, are derived from plants of the bean (also called the Legume family). These plants make galactomannan polysaccharides as a source of energy to support the growth of the embryo within the seed. In addition to being used in cosmetics and personal care products, Guar Gum is commonly used as a thickener in foods such as salad dressings, ice cream and soups. Hydroxypropyl Guar is also used in artificial tear solutions.

Safety Information

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) includes Guar Gum on its list of substances affirmed as Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS“GRAS” is an acronym for the phrase Generally Recognized As Safe. Under sections 201(s) and 409 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the Act), any substance that is intentionally added to food is a food additive, that is subject to premarket review and approval by FDA, unless the substance is generally recognized, among qualified experts, as having been adequately shown to be safe under the conditions of its intended use, or unless the use of the substance is otherwise excluded from the definition of a food additive.) as a direct food substance. Hydroxypropyl Guar is on FDA’s list of indirect food additives permitted for use in paper and paperboard in contact with aqueous and fatty foods. The safety of Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba (Guar) Gum, Hydroxypropyl Guar, Guar Hydroxpropyltrimonium Chloride and Hydroxypropyl Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride has been assessed by the Cosmetic Ingredient ReviewThe Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) was established in 1976 as an independent safety review program for cosmetic ingredients. The CIR Expert Panel consists of independent experts in dermatology, toxicology, pharmacolgy and veterinary medicine. The CIR includes participation by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration and the Consumer Federation of America. (CIR) Expert Panel. The CIR Expert Panel evaluated the scientific data and concluded that these ingredients were safe as used in cosmetics and personal care products.

CIR Safety Review:

The CIR Expert Panel reviewed data the indicated that little Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba (Guar) Gum is absorbed following oral exposure. Therefore, absorption following dermal exposure would also be limited. The CIR Expert Panel reviewed data that indicated that Guar Gum was not genotoxic or carcinogenic and it was not a developmental toxicant. Guar Gum and its derivatives were also not dermal irritants or sensitizers.

Based on the available data, the CIR Expert Panel concluded that Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba (Guar) Gum, Hydroxypropyl Guar, Guar Hydroxpropyltrimonium Chloride and Hydroxypropyl Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride were safe as used in cosmetic and personal care products.

FDA:

Link to Code of Federal Regulations for Guar Gum and Hydroxypropyl Guar

Guar Gum and Guar Gum-derived ingredients may be used in cosmetics and personal care products marketed in Europe according to the general provisions of the Cosmetics Regulation of the European UnionUnder the general provisions of the cosmetics regulation of the EU, ingredients appearing on the following function-specific annexes must comply with the listed restrictions and/or specifications: colorants (Annex IV), preservatives (Annex V), UV filters (Annex VI) and other ingredients with specific concentration limits and/or other restrictions (Annex III). Ingredients specifically prohibited from use in cosmetic products are listed in Annex II. Other ingredients listed in the EU cosmetic ingredient database (CosIng) may be used without restrictions..

Link to the EU Cosmetic Regulation: http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/consumers/product_labelling_and_packaging/co0013_en.htm

More Scientific Information

In naming plants, botanists use a Latin name made up of the genus and species of the plant. For example, under this system the plant, guar bean is known as Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (L.) Taub., where (L.) Taub. represents the names of the persons who first described the type of plant specimen. Plants are also known by common names that are handed down through generations. These common names may vary from country to country, for example guar bean is also known as cluster bean and Siam bean. Therefore, Latin names, which are more likely to be recognized in many countries, are frequently used on the label of a product to identify an ingredient made from plants.

Resources

Find out more about the regulation of Food Additives by the Food and Drug Administration

Food Ingredients and Packaging: http://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/default.htm

Food Contact Substances: http://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/PackagingFCS/default.htm

Substances Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS): http://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/GRAS/default.htm

Search the Code of Federal Regulations http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/cfrsearch.cfm

EU Cosmetics Inventory http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/cosmetics/cosing/