Xanthan gum is a powerful tool in food production, especially as more people move toward gluten-free diets, but its use in hair products may still seem perplexing. As it turns out, it does something similar in hair products that it does in food. According to Byrdie, xanthan gum acts as an emulsifier in hair products. It's a stabilizing agent and thickener just as it operates in food, yet it also emulsifies, meaning that it holds all of the product's ingredients together in a cohesive liquid while simultaneously ensuring that all of a product's active ingredients work in tandem. "I think of it as the egg inside cakes that holds it together after it is baked," Nava Greenfield, MD, explained.
Xanthan gum isn't known to have any negative side effects, per Byrdie, meaning that it can be used by anyone as long as they don't have an allergy to it. Xanthan gum is often derived from corn, soy, dairy, and wheat, so be wary if you have any of these allergies. Similarly, it's not known to negatively interact with any other hair product ingredients, which is why it's in so many products.
In addition to xanthan gum's molecular aid in hair products, it's suspected to be able to lock oils into hair, so people with a dry scalp and hair may be able to benefit from its properties.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTEpaCsrF6YvK57k3FobGhiZMSprdNmoKxlqJa7tbTAp2SgrZ1irq%2BwjLCfmqxdnsButdNmm6ihnpx6qrqMsqauql2drqq%2BjKmpqJylmMG0ew%3D%3D