Development and Cosmetic Application of Cross-linked Polysiloxane

Various kinds of oil which can keep our skin emollient are widely used in cosmetic formulations. It is technically important to make oil into a gelling state in order to improve stability of cosmetic products. Dimethylpolysiloxane has become popular recently, because it has unique properties, such as smooth and non-greasy touch and water repellency. However, oil gelling agents, particularly a gelling agent of dimethylpolysiloxane are less found in cosmetic ingredients. Thus, the cross-linked polysiloxane which can swell in dimethylpolysiloxane forming a soft gel has newly been developed. Then modifying the above cross-linked polysiloxane made it possible to make oil, such as paraffins, esters, glycerides into a stable gel, and W/O type gel emulsions can also be obtained. In this paper, the structure and characteristics of the cross-linked polysiloxane are introduced together with some examples of cosmetic applications.