Pullulan is a naturally occurring microbial polysaccharide produced by fermentation of starch-based substrates using Aureobasidium pullulans. It is a neutral, water-soluble glucan composed primarily of maltotriose units linked through α-1,6 bonds. Pullulan is valued as a specialty cosmetic ingredient because it combines film-forming, binding and conditioning properties with relatively low solution viscosity.
In cosmetic formulations, Pullulan can form a smooth, cohesive and water-soluble film after application. This characteristic makes it useful in skin-care, hair-care, facial cleansing and makeup formulations. Its film-forming behavior can contribute to a smooth skin feel and is also used in cosmetic concepts requiring temporary tightening or surface-smoothing effects.
Pullulan is generally supplied as a fine white to off-white powder. When dissolved in water, it produces a clear solution whose viscosity depends on polymer molecular weight and concentration.
Pullulan has the INCI name PULLULAN and CAS Number 9057-02-7. Its EC Number is 232-945-1. It is a polymeric carbohydrate with a representative repeating composition of (C₆H₁₀O₅)ₙ.
The polymer consists mainly of maltotriose units, with three glucose units connected by α-1,4 linkages and successive maltotriose units connected through α-1,6 linkages. A small proportion of maltotetraosyl units can also occur.
Pullulan does not have one fixed molecular weight because commercial grades can be manufactured to different molecular-weight ranges. Documented materials include grades around 100,000 Da and approximately 200,000 Da, while other specialty grades may have different molecular-weight specifications.
Pullulan is primarily used as a film-forming and binding cosmetic ingredient. Cosmetic ingredient references also associate it with skin-conditioning functionality.
When dissolved in water and applied to the skin, Pullulan can dry to form a thin, flexible film. This film-forming characteristic can provide a temporary smooth and tightened sensory effect and can help improve the surface characteristics of cosmetic formulations.
An important technical advantage is that Pullulan can provide film formation without necessarily producing the very high viscosity associated with some other polymeric ingredients. This combination of adhesion, film formation and relatively controlled viscosity makes it useful for formulations where texture and application feel are important.
Pullulan can be incorporated into a wide range of skin-care, hair-care and personal-care formulations. Applications include facial serums, creams, lotions, facial masks, primers, makeup products, facial cleansers, hair-care products and film-forming cosmetic preparations.
Its film-forming properties are particularly relevant to facial-mask and skin-tightening concepts. Pullulan can also be used as a binder in formulations where adhesion and cohesive film formation are desirable.
Because Pullulan is readily soluble in water, it can be incorporated into aqueous formulations using appropriate dispersion and hydration procedures. Commercial technical information also describes applications in hair-care and facial-cleansing formulations.
Pullulan is water-soluble and generally practically insoluble in ethanol. Current technical specifications commonly evaluate it through glucan content, viscosity, moisture, ash, pH and low-molecular-weight carbohydrate content rather than simply relying on a conventional HPLC assay.
A documented specification for Pullulan requires not less than 90% glucan on a dried basis. Current specification references also report loss on drying NMT 6%, mono-, di- and oligosaccharides NMT 10% expressed as glucose, pH 5–7 for a 10% solution, and viscosity of approximately 100–180 mm²/s for a 10% aqueous solution at 30°C.
Commercial cosmetic-grade specifications can vary. For example, one cosmetic-grade material specifies loss on drying NMT 6%, residue on ignition NMT 5%, pH 4.5–6.5, nitrogen NMT 0.05% and viscosity of 100–180 mm²/s for a 10% solution at 30°C.
The Assay (HPLC) field should therefore not be assigned an arbitrary value. Pullulan content is commonly evaluated using glucan-specific analytical procedures, while viscosity and molecular-weight characteristics provide important information about the polymer grade.
Pullulan is a specialty cosmetic ingredient for manufacturers developing film-forming, skin-conditioning and texture-enhancing formulations. Its combination of water solubility, film formation, adhesion and controlled viscosity makes it suitable for a variety of modern personal-care applications.
For B2B sourcing, the exact grade should be evaluated according to glucan content, molecular weight, viscosity, moisture, ash, pH, carbohydrate impurities, heavy metals and microbiological specifications.
As a Pullulan Cosmetic Ingredient Manufacturer in India, the ingredient can support bulk cosmetic raw-material requirements for skin-care, hair-care, facial-care and personal-care formulation development.
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Appearance | White or colourless crystals / white powder |
| Assay (HPLC) | NLT 90% on dried basis |
| Loss on Drying | NMT 6.0% |
| Residue on Ignition | NMT 5.0% |
| pH (1% Solution) | 5.0–7.0 |