Functional fillers for cosmetics

We all understand that skincare cosmetics act gradually: any active component begins to show the first signs of action no earlier than after 14 days. It seems impossible to instantly improve your complexion, reduce wrinkles or brighten your skin.Usually, an immediate effect is expected from decorative cosmetics: powder, foundation, concealers or highlighters. Such properties are imparted to decorative and mineral cosmetics by a special category of assets called functional fillers. They can also be used in regular cream to obtain a magical “Photoshop effect”.

What are functional fillers in cosmetics and how to use them

Functional fillers can change the properties of a product, improve its structure and sensory characteristics, and provide some kind of visual effect. They can increase durability, improve adhesion, glide, impart mattifying properties or, conversely, shine, and improve tactile sensations during application of a cosmetic product.

Functional fillers or “additives” for cosmetics can be either natural or synthetic. They are made from mica, quartz, aluminum oxide, boron nitride or bismuth oxychloride. There are many functional fillers and more than one company produces them. The most famous manufacturers on the cosmetics market are the German company Merck and the French manufacturer Sensient, whose products can be purchased at the Beurre store wholesale and retail and receive original quality certificates for each product.

There are dozens and even hundreds of functional fillers, and their properties are determined by their structure, shape, size and special coating:

• Plates – good adhesion and coverage, light reflection
• Balls - effect of scattering light and filling wrinkles
• Large size - transparent when applied and matte
• Small size – denser structure, high coverage and correction of defects
• Smooth particles – reflection of light
• Rough – mattifying effect.

Therefore, when choosing a functional filler, you need to decide what effect we want to get, and then carefully read the description of the component, paying attention to the shape of the particles and their size.

Types, functions and properties of functional fillers

Functional fillers can be divided into several types:

• Gives radiance and evens out skin microrelief
• Carers
• Correcting skin tone
• UV filters.

We described in more detail about all types of fillers and their properties in cosmetics in the article “Functional fillers or the Photoshop effect in cosmetics”