Ingredient
Invert Sugar Syrup
Saccharide hydrolysate
Benefits
Natural
You may have heard of invert (or inverted) sugar on cooking shows. Not very common in ordinary kitchens, it is widely used by chefs as it is very efficient.
What are the benefits of invert sugar syrup in cosmetics?
A humectant, it retains moisture in the product and on the skin.
It doesn’t crystallize as much as classic sugar.
It helps create a product base with a smooth texture.
What have you done to my sugar?
Although manufacturers may add enzymes, citric acid or cream of tartar, the original process for obtaining inverted sugar is quite simple and consists of heating table sugar with water. It triggers a reaction called hydrolysis that breaks the chemical bond of sucrose into two different compounds: glucose and fructose. It is called "inversion" because, in (very) short, the resulting syrup reflects light differently, in a reversed way.