Hydroxyethyl Cellulose * Hand Sanitizer

1. Thickening effect

Hand sanitizer needs to have a suitable consistency for easy use and dosage control. Hydroxyethyl cellulose can effectively increase the viscosity of hand sanitizer. It achieves thickening by forming a three-dimensional network structure in the solution. The hydroxyl groups on the molecular chain form hydrogen bonds with water molecules, and the molecular chains are entangled with each other, which reduces the fluidity of the hand sanitizer system, thereby achieving a thickening effect.

When a small amount of hydroxyethyl cellulose is added to the hand sanitizer formula, the originally thin liquid can become thicker, just like turning water into a gel-like texture, which is convenient for consumers to squeeze out the right amount of hand sanitizer for cleaning each time.

2. Stabilizing effect

It helps to stabilize other ingredients in hand sanitizer. Hand sanitizer contains a variety of surfactants, fragrances, preservatives and other ingredients. Hydroxyethyl cellulose can prevent the separation of these ingredients.

Surfactants are the key ingredients for hand sanitizer cleaning, but some surfactants may stratify during storage. The presence of hydroxyethyl cellulose is like a "protective net", which can adsorb around surfactant molecules to prevent them from aggregating and stratifying, ensuring that the hand sanitizer maintains uniform ingredients during storage and use.

3. Moisturizing effect

Hydroxyethyl cellulose itself has a certain hydrophilicity. In hand sanitizer, it can help lock in moisture and prevent the skin from being too dry after washing hands.

When consumers use hand sanitizer containing hydroxyethyl cellulose to wash their hands, it can form a thin protective film on the surface of the skin during the hand washing process. This film can reduce the loss of moisture on the surface of the skin, so that the skin of the hands can still maintain a certain amount of moisture after cleaning, making the skin feel more comfortable.