Disliked
Lecithin
Hydrating
Some ingredients help hydrate the skin by either drawing in moisture or preventing it from escaping. They're often used to keep skin feeling soft, smooth, and well-balanced.
Helps with Barrier Repair
Some ingredients support barrier repair by reinforcing your skin’s protective layer, locking in moisture, and defending against irritation and environmental stress.
Explained
Lecithin is a term for a group of substances found in the cell membranes of plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of phospholipids.
Thanks to its amphiphilic structure (water-loving head and oil-loving tail), it is a true multitasker:
- It acts as a gentle emulsifier that stabilizes formulas.
- It is an emollient that supports the skin barrier by mimicking the skin's natural lipid structure.
- It is used as a delivery vehicle that delivers actives like vitamin c into the stratum corneum.
It plays well with most ingredients and is typically used at 0.1-1%. However, concentrations up to 50% have been reported in moisturizers.
See all 9,414 products with Lecithin
Users who like it
35%
Users who avoid it
65%
What it does
Emollient
Having the quality of softening or soothing the skin.
Emulsifying
The act of emulsion: a suspension of small globules of one liquid in a second liquid with which the first will not mix
Skin Conditioning
To hydrate and soften skin
Prevalence
Somewhat common
Percentage of products that contain it
7.2%
Top categories
Treatments
Makeup
Moisturizers
Position
Predominant list placement
Bottom 50%
References
CosIng Data
CosIng ID
34995
INCI Name
LECITHIN
EC #
 232-307-2 / 310-129-7
All Functions
Antistatic, Emollient, Emulsifying, Skin Conditioning
