The Science Behind
Beautiful Everyday Moments
Personal care formulations are uniquely demanding. Consumers judge a product within seconds — the way it pours, the texture on their skin, the lather it creates, and the feel it leaves behind. Behind every shampoo that rinses clean, every lotion that absorbs smoothly, and every hand sanitizer with the right gel consistency, there is a carefully selected additive performing essential rheological and structural work.
At Shandong Landu, our LANDERCOLL® cellulose ether portfolio is engineered to meet these exact requirements — giving formulators precise control over viscosity, texture, stability, suspension, transparency, and overall sensory experience across every personal care category.
Additives Shape the
Consumer Experience
In personal care, performance is defined by how a product feels. Consumers may not know what cellulose ether is, but they can immediately tell when a shampoo feels too thin, a lotion separates, or a hand sanitizer loses its gel structure. Selecting the right additive is what bridges formulation chemistry and real‑world consumer satisfaction.
- Viscosity balance — achieve the target flow and pourability for every format
- Texture & feel — smooth application, rich lather, clean rinse
- Stability — no phase separation, sedimentation, or syneresis over shelf life
- Suspension — keep particles, beads, and actives uniformly distributed
- Appearance — clarity, gloss, and consistent colour throughout the batch
- Processing — easy dispersion, low foam during manufacturing, rapid hydration
- Safety — non‑ionic, non‑toxic, cosmetic‑grade, FDA‑ and EU‑compliant
Every metric above can be optimised through additive selection — the right cellulose ether, at the right viscosity grade, in the right dosage.
Personal Care Products
We Help You Formulate
Our additives support seven core personal care application categories. Each area has unique formulation priorities — and we offer targeted additive directions for every one.
01
Hand Sanitizer
Gel‑type hand sanitizers require stable, transparent viscosity in alcohol‑rich systems. The additive must hydrate quickly, resist ethanol dehydration, and maintain gel integrity through temperature changes.
Product directions: HEC, HPMC
Explore Hand Sanitizer →
02
Shampoo
Shampoos demand excellent surfactant compatibility, rich foam stabilisation, controlled viscosity, and a clean rinse. Cellulose ethers thicken without weighing down the hair or leaving residue.
Product directions: HEC, HPMC
Explore Shampoo →
03
Hair Conditioner
Conditioners need creamy body, even distribution, and conditioning feel. The right additive thickens the emulsion system, suspends conditioning agents, and delivers smooth application and rinse.
Product directions: HPMC, HEC, CMC
Explore Hair Conditioner →
04
Body Wash
Body wash formulations balance rich foam, pleasant texture, moisturising feel, and rinsability. Additives must work harmoniously with surfactant blends while providing stable viscosity across temperature ranges.
Product directions: HEC, HPMC
Explore Body Wash →
05
Facial Masks
Peel‑off and wash‑off masks need excellent film‑forming ability, adhesion, uniform drying, and easy removal. Cellulose ethers provide the polymer backbone for gel and cream mask textures.
Product directions: HPMC, HEC
Explore Facial Masks →
06
Lotions & Creams
Emulsion‑based lotions and creams require stable thickening, excellent skin feel, and long‑term homogeneity. The additive controls spreadability, reduces greasiness, and supports a luxurious texture.
Product directions: HPMC, CMC, HEC
Explore Lotions & Creams →
07
Facial Cleansers
Facial cleansers — foams, gels, and creamy washes — require mild but effective thickening, gentle lather, clarity control, and compatibility with sensitive‑skin surfactant systems.
Product directions: HEC, HPMC
Explore Facial Cleansers →The Right Cellulose Ether
for Every Personal Care Need
Four cellulose ether families serve personal care. Each brings distinct strengths — and the best results come from matching the polymer to the formulation's unique requirements.
HEC
Hydroxyethyl Cellulose
The most widely used cellulose ether in personal care. Offers exceptional surfactant compatibility, transparent solutions, smooth texture, and broad pH/salt tolerance. The primary thickener for shampoos, body washes, hand sanitizers, and facial cleansers.
Key applications: Shampoo, Body wash, Hand sanitizer, Facial cleanser
View HEC →HPMC
Hydroxypropyl Methyl Cellulose
Provides thickening, film‑forming, emulsification, and water retention. Ideal for products requiring controlled deposition, such as conditioners, facial masks, and lotions. Offers thermal gelation behaviour useful for specialised formats.
Key applications: Hair conditioner, Facial masks, Lotions, Shampoo
View HPMC →HEMC / MHEC
Hydroxyethyl Methyl Cellulose
Combines the methyl and hydroxyethyl substitution pattern for balanced water retention, thickening, and workability. Useful in emulsion systems requiring smooth rheology and consistent long‑term stability.
Key applications: Lotions, Creams, Body wash
View HEMC / MHEC →CMC
Carboxymethyl Cellulose
An anionic cellulose ether with strong binding, stabilising, and moisture‑retention properties. Particularly useful in cream and lotion formats where emulsion binding and shelf‑life extension are critical.
Key applications: Lotions, Creams, Hair conditioner
View CMC →Choosing the Right Additive
for Your Formulation
In personal care, a single additive does not fit all products. The ideal choice depends on several interacting variables:
- Product type — shampoo vs lotion vs sanitizer each impose different system chemistry
- Format — gel, liquid, cream, foam, or solid each demand different rheology profiles
- Target viscosity — from water‑thin serums to thick salon conditioners
- Sensory expectations — slip, richness, rinse‑off behaviour, after‑feel
- Stability window — temperature, pH, electrolyte concentration, shelf‑life target
- Ingredient interactions — surfactant systems, preservatives, fragrances, actives
- Market positioning — premium texture, natural claim, clear / opaque aesthetics
Our technical team helps formulators and procurement teams navigate these choices — from initial concept to final grade recommendation.
Selection Resources
All Applications Recommended Grade Table Product Comparison Table Contact Technical SupportWhy Formulators Choose
LANDERCOLL® for Personal Care
Application‑driven selection
We start from your product — not a generic polymer datasheet. Every recommendation is based on the application's actual rheology and sensory requirements.
Complete cellulose ether portfolio
HEC, HPMC, HEMC/MHEC, and CMC — all produced in‑house. One supplier, consistent quality, simplified procurement.
Sensory‑level formulation support
Beyond viscosity numbers: we help optimise feel, clarity, foam profile, rinse behaviour, and shelf‑life stability for your end market.
Scale and supply reliability
60,000 MT/year total cellulose ether capacity, ISO 9001‑certified, serving customers in 80+ countries with consistent batch quality.
Common Questions
What cellulose ethers are used in personal care?
The four main families used in personal care are HEC (hydroxyethyl cellulose), HPMC (hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose), HEMC/MHEC (hydroxyethyl methyl cellulose), and CMC (carboxymethyl cellulose). HEC is the most widely used for surfactant‑based systems such as shampoos and body washes, while HPMC excels in film‑forming and emulsion applications.
Which personal care applications does LANDERCOLL® support?
We support seven core application areas: hand sanitizer, shampoo, hair conditioner, body wash, facial masks, lotions & creams, and facial cleansers. Each application has specific formulation priorities, and we provide targeted additive recommendations for every one.
Can you help me choose the right grade for my formulation?
Yes. Our technical team provides grade‑selection support based on your product type, target viscosity, sensory requirements, pH and electrolyte environment, and processing conditions. Contact us with your formulation brief and we'll recommend the most suitable LANDERCOLL® grade.
Are LANDERCOLL® products safe for cosmetic use?
All LANDERCOLL® cellulose ethers used in personal care are non‑ionic (or anionic in the case of CMC), non‑toxic, and produced under ISO 9001:2015 quality management. They comply with FDA, EU, and other international cosmetic‑ingredient regulations.
Better Personal Care Products
Begin with Better Additives
Whether you're developing a new shampoo line, reformulating a lotion, or scaling production of hand sanitizers, LANDERCOLL® cellulose ethers deliver the viscosity control, texture, stability, and sensory performance your products demand.
Tell us your application. We'll recommend the right product.