Zea Mays (Corn) Starch

What it is

This is the same starch used in cooking, milled and purified from maize kernels. In masks it soaks up surface oil and water, thickens the formula and leaves a soft-focus, non-shiny finish, which is why it appears in clay and mattifying formats and in powder-to-paste masks.

What it does well

• Absorbs oil and gives a silky, matte skin feel

  Starch granules take up sebum and moisture on contact, which is the basis for its long use as a natural alternative to talc in mattifying products.

  Moderate evidence

Worth knowing

• Starch is a nutrient source for microbes

  Starch can feed bacteria and moulds if a water-containing product is under-preserved or if you dip wet fingers into a jar. Properly preserved commercial products are tested for this; it matters mainly for homemade or preservative-free formats.

  Matters most toAnyone using preservative-free or DIY starch-containing masks.

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