Rate My SPF

Maltodextrin

What Maltodextrin is & what it does

A plant-sugar polymer used as a film former and carrier that helps fix actives on the skin and adds a smooth, soft-focus finish. It also stabilizes and thickens formulas.

What is Maltodextrin and what does it do in sunscreen?

Maltodextrin is a plant-sugar polymer, usually made from corn, rice or potato starch, used as a film former and carrier. In a sunscreen it helps fix the actives on the skin and leaves a smooth, soft-focus finish. It also helps stabilize and thicken the formula, so the texture stays even from the first pump to the last.

Is Maltodextrin safe?

Yes. Maltodextrin is a simple carbohydrate that has a long history of safe use in both food and cosmetics, and it is well tolerated on skin. It sits on the surface as a film and carrier rather than doing anything biologically active. For the vast majority of people it is non-irritating at the small amounts used in sunscreen.

Does Maltodextrin clog pores?

Generally no. Maltodextrin is a water-soluble sugar polymer, not a heavy oil or wax, so it is not a typical pore-clogging ingredient and is treated as low on the comedogenicity scale. It is used in small amounts to form a light film and bind the formula together. If a product is breaking you out, the richer oils and emollients elsewhere are far more likely the cause.

Is Maltodextrin natural?

Largely yes. Maltodextrin is derived from natural starches such as corn, rice or potato, broken down into a shorter sugar polymer. It is processed in a lab, but the starting material and the final molecule are plant-based, which also makes it typically suitable for vegan formulas.

Is Maltodextrin a preservative?

No. Maltodextrin is a film former, carrier and thickener, not a preservative, and it does nothing to stop microbes growing. The preserving in a sunscreen is handled by ingredients like phenoxyethanol or ethylhexylglycerin. Maltodextrin is only there to fix actives, smooth the finish and help stabilize the texture.

Sunscreens with Maltodextrin

We rate 302 sunscreens that contain it, showing the top 10 by overall score:

← All ingredients