When I first started my journey as a cosmetic chemical raw material supplier, I assumed that air was something to keep out—just dust and moisture that could spoil inventory. A decade later, I’ve learned air is far more complex, and its impact on the raw materials we provide is one of the most important conversations my team and I have with every client, from small indie formulation labs to large global beauty brands. Last month, a skincare brand I’ve worked with for six years reached out in a panic: their batch of natural moisturizing agent, a blend of hyaluronic acid and plant-derived glycerin, had thickened and developed a faint off-odor after sitting in a warehouse for three months. When we tested samples from the same production run stored in our climate-controlled, nitrogen-purged tanks vs. their standard warehouse, the difference was stark. That moment drove home how critical it is to demystify air’s role in the lifecycle of cosmetic raw materials—not just as a contaminant, but as an active chemical actor. Cosmetic Chemical Raw Material
Let’s start with the most well-known interaction: oxidation. Air is 21% oxygen, and oxygen is the primary culprit behind most degradation in cosmetic raw materials. Take unsaturated fatty acids, like the ones derived from jojoba or sunflower seed oil that are common in emulsifiers and moisturizers. These molecules have double bonds in their carbon chains, and when oxygen attaches to those double bonds, it starts a chain reaction called auto-oxidation. For raw material suppliers, this means monitoring the peroxide value (PV) of every batch before shipment—peroxides are the unstable intermediate compounds formed during oxidation that trigger that off-odor we saw in the client’s batch. A few years back, we had a client who insisted on lower shipping costs, so they opted for bulk drums with minimal headspace. By the time the material arrived at their facility, the PV had doubled because the large volume of air trapped in the drum’s headspace accelerated oxidation. Now, we always work with clients to calculate exact drum sizing to cut down on excess headspace, and for high-oil raw materials, we offer nitrogen-purged packaging to displace oxygen entirely. The data backs this up: a 2021 study in the International Journal of Cosmetic Science found that nitrogen purging reduced peroxide formation in unsaturated fatty acid blends by 78% over a 90-day storage period, compared to standard air-sealed drums. It’s not just oils, either. Vitamin C derivatives, a staple in brightening serums, are highly susceptible to oxidation. L-ascorbic acid, in particular, loses its efficacy when oxygen breaks down its molecular structure, turning from a white powder to a yellowish tint. We once received a return of vitamin C powder from a client who’d left a drum open in their lab; within two weeks, its brightening activity had dropped by 42%. Now, we store all vitamin C derivatives in airtight, foil-lined packaging with desiccants to absorb moisture and block oxygen—small steps that make a huge difference for our clients’ final products.
But oxygen isn’t the only part of air that matters. Moisture, which makes up roughly 1% of atmospheric air, is a silent enemy for many raw materials. Humidity in a warehouse or lab can lead to hydrolysis, a reaction where water breaks down chemical bonds in raw materials. For example, polysaccharides—like xanthan gum, a common thickener used in creams, serums, and shampoos—are hygroscopic, meaning they draw moisture from the air. When xanthan gum absorbs too much moisture, its molecular structure breaks down, and it loses its thickening ability. A bakery ingredient supplier might not care if their xanthan gum gets a little damp, but for cosmetic brands, a thickener that fails means a cream that’s too runny or a shampoo that doesn’t lather properly. We’ve had to adjust our packaging for fine powder raw materials like xanthan gum, adding multi-layered plastic liners that are impermeable to moisture, and we work with clients to provide storage guidelines that include humidity limits (typically below 40% relative humidity for most powdered polymers). Even for liquid raw materials, moisture can be a problem. Hyaluronic acid, which I mentioned earlier, is hydrophilic—dissolve it in water and you get that plumping, moisture-retentive serum everyone loves. But if the raw hyaluronic acid powder absorbs excess moisture from the air before being used, it can clump together, making it harder to dissolve evenly in the client’s formulation. That uneven dissolution leads to inconsistent batch results, which is a headache no formulator wants.
Another often-overlooked component of air is carbon dioxide. CO2 makes up about 0.04% of atmospheric air, and while that seems small, it can have a measurable impact on raw materials with alkaline or acid-base properties. For example, triethanolamine (TEA), a pH adjuster used to balance the acidity of water-based cosmetic products, reacts with CO2 in the air to form carbonate salts. These salts can alter the pH of a raw material over time, leading to instability in the final product. A few months ago, a client contacted us with a complaint that their batch of TEA had a higher pH than expected, which was causing their toner to irritate sensitive skin. Testing showed that the drums had been stored in a drafty part of their warehouse, where air circulation exposed the TEA to more CO2 than usual. Since then, we’ve started labeling our TEA and other pH-sensitive raw materials with “air exposure warning” stickers, and we recommend that clients store them in sealed, airtight containers when not in use, especially in high-humidity or drafty areas. For raw materials that are extremely sensitive to CO2, like certain amino acid derivatives used in anti-aging products, we now offer hermetically sealed packaging that prevents any air from getting in at all.
It’s not all bad news, though—air also plays a role in the performance of some cosmetic raw materials. Take natural extracts, like green tea or aloe vera, which are often used for their antioxidant properties. When these extracts are applied to the skin, air can react with their active compounds (like catechins in green tea) to create a protective layer that helps shield the skin from environmental damage. But for the raw materials themselves—before they’re incorporated into a formulation—exposure to air is still a risk. The key difference is that once the raw material is part of a final product, controlled air exposure can be beneficial, but during storage and transport, it’s something we need to manage carefully. For example, our team recently worked with a brand that makes a mask with activated charcoal, a raw material that’s highly absorbent. The brand initially stored the charcoal in open bins, thinking air exposure wouldn’t matter. But when we tested the material, we found it had absorbed volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the warehouse air, which altered its absorption properties and caused the mask to not work as well. Now, we advise all clients who use porous materials like activated charcoal or certain clays to store them in airtight containers to prevent them from picking up unwanted compounds from the air around them.
As a supplier, our job isn’t just to sell raw materials—it’s to help clients understand how to protect those materials from the air, so their final products perform as intended. We’ve learned this through years of trial and error, working with dozens of different raw materials and hundreds of clients. For example, we started offering free storage consultations two years ago, where our team will visit a client’s facility to assess their warehouse conditions and make specific recommendations—whether that’s adding desiccants to their packaging, adjusting drum sizing, or investing in small nitrogen purging systems for their high-sensitivity raw materials. One small brand we worked with, a team of three formulators making organic lipsticks, was losing 15% of their shea butter-based wax raw materials each month to oxidation and moisture damage. After our consultation, we worked with them to switch to nitrogen-purged drums and adjusted their storage temperature to 18°C, and their waste dropped to less than 2%—saving them thousands of dollars a year. That’s the kind of impact our work has, and it’s why I’m so passionate about this role.
I also think it’s important to address a common misconception: some formulators think that all raw materials should be stored in perfectly airtight containers forever, but that’s not always the case. For example, certain types of emulsifiers, like nonionic surfactants, can absorb small amounts of air during formulation, which actually helps them mix better with water and oil. The problem is when too much air gets in during storage, leading to degradation. So it’s a balance—we don’t want to eliminate air entirely, we want to control its exposure. That’s why our packaging and storage recommendations are tailored to each specific raw material, not a one-size-fits-all approach.
Looking ahead, the rise of clean beauty has made this conversation even more important. Consumers are demanding more natural, plant-based raw materials, which often are more sensitive to air than synthetic ones. Natural oils, plant extracts, and polysaccharides tend to degrade faster when exposed to oxygen and moisture because their molecular structures are less stable. As a supplier, we’ve had to invest in new technologies to handle these materials, including climate-controlled storage facilities and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) for high-sensitivity natural raw materials. We test every batch of natural raw materials for oxidation and moisture content before shipment, so our clients know exactly what they’re getting when the materials arrive at their facility.
If you’re a formulator, brand owner, or anyone working with cosmetic chemical raw materials, I know how frustrating it can be when a batch goes wrong due to something as simple as air. It’s often an unseen problem, hard to diagnose, and expensive to fix. That’s why we’re here—we don’t just sell you a drum of raw material, we provide guidance, support, and solutions to make sure your materials stay in top condition from our facility to your production line. Whether you’re dealing with an off-odor from an oxidized oil, clumpy powder from moisture damage, or any other issue related to air exposure, our team has the experience to help. We work with businesses of all sizes, from small startups to large international brands, and we’re committed to transparency and collaboration every step of the way.
If you’d like to learn more about how we can help protect your cosmetic raw materials from the impact of air, or if you have questions about storage, packaging, or testing, we encourage you to reach out for a procurement consultation. We’re always happy to discuss your specific needs and provide tailored solutions that fit your budget and production requirements.
Cosmetic Chemical Raw Material References
- International Journal of Cosmetic Science. (2021). Oxidative stability of unsaturated fatty acid raw materials for cosmetic formulations under different storage conditions. 43(3), 289–301.
- Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Materials. (2019). Hydrolysis of polysaccharide thickeners in cosmetic raw materials: Impact of relative humidity and storage temperature. 178, 112045.
- Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel. (2020). Stability considerations for pH-adjusting raw materials in cosmetic products. International Journal of Toxicology, 39(2), 145–152.
- Journal of Natural Cosmetics. (2022). Air exposure impacts on plant-derived raw materials for clean beauty formulations. 12(1), 45–58.
Shandong Hefan Chemical Products Co., Ltd.
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