What it is
Maltodextrin is a polysaccharide built from chains of glucose units obtained by partially breaking down starch. It is classified by its dextrose equivalent (DE), a value between 3 and 20, where a lower DE means longer polymer chains. In cosmetic formulas it serves as a little helper ingredient: it can absorb excess surface moisture for a more matte feel, help stabilize emulsions, and bind other components together. It is a white, water-soluble solid that is easy to incorporate into water-based products.
Safety & warnings
Maltodextrin is a simple, food-grade glucose polymer that is generally regarded as gentle and well tolerated on skin, and its cosmetic role is surface-level absorbing, stabilizing, and binding. Ingredient references do not describe it as a common irritant or allergen. Its starch origin (for example corn or wheat) is worth noting only for people who track plant sources for personal reasons.
Origin & sourcing
Maltodextrin is plant-derived. It is produced by boiling food starch and then treating the resulting paste with a combination of acid and enzymes to cut the starch into shorter glucose polymers. Common starch sources are corn (especially in the United States), wheat (common in Europe), potato, rice, and cassava.
History
Digestible maltodextrins were first produced in roughly the 1967 to 1973 period, and a digestion-resistant variety later emerged in the 1990s out of research on resistant starch. The ingredient is widely used as a food additive and as a cosmetic helper ingredient.
Questions everyone asks
What is maltodextrin made from?
It is made from starch, typically corn, wheat, potato, rice, or cassava, by breaking the starch down with acid and enzymes into shorter glucose chains.
Why is maltodextrin in my sunscreen?
It is usually there as an absorbent or mattifier, an emulsion stabilizer, and a binder, helping texture and product stability rather than sun protection itself.
Is maltodextrin the same as sugar?
It is a glucose polymer derived from starch; in cosmetics it functions as a film-forming, absorbent helper rather than as a sweetener.