Ingredient glossary / Texture and thickener
Silica
On the label: Silica · Texture and thickener
What it is
Silicon dioxide in fine particles; absorbs oil, mattifies and thickens. The amorphous (non-crystalline) kind is what cosmetics use.
Texture and thickeners: Thickeners and film formers give a product its body and feel, from gums to silicones.
Wikidata: Chemical compound. Q116269 →
In the research
1,424 PubMed papers mention it with skin, cosmetics or hair; the three most recent:
- Structural Engineering of Bio-Alkaloid Ionic Liquid-Mesoporous Silica Nanohybrids for Optimized Transdermal Atopic Dermatitis Therapy · ACS applied materials & interfaces, 2026
- Tofacitinib laden MCM-48 mesoporous silica nanogel for topical psoriasis: ex vivo and in vivo therapeutic validation · European journal of pharmaceutics and biopharmaceutics : official journal of Arb, 2026
- Solid-Surface Micellization of Pluronic P123 on Silica Particles by Mechanochemical Processing and Hydration-State Engineering · Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids, 2026
A paper is a paper, not a verdict: titles are listed so you can read them, and a study on cells or mice says little about a cream on a face.
Products whose label lists it
2 on the siteMatched from the ingredient list the supplier printed; the position in the list (first or thirtieth) is on each product page.
Made in the USA
Made in the USAOther texture and thickeners
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