BUTTER-C
Signature ingredients
Snow mushroom (Tremella) gel OEM/ODM manufacturing
Snow Mushroom (Tremella) Gel Moisturizer · OEM/ODM
Snow mushroom (Tremella fuciformis) is an edible, translucent white jelly fungus with a long place in Asian cooking — a cultural story, not evidence about skin. What cosmetics use is the water-soluble polysaccharide taken from the fruiting body (INCI: Tremella Fuciformis Polysaccharide): a negatively charged sugar chain that attracts and holds water and leaves a hydrophilic film on the skin surface. Snow mushroom is often called “plant hyaluronic acid”, yet a fungus is not a plant and its polysaccharide is built differently from hyaluronic acid; placebo-controlled human data so far come from one small trial with a hand gel, the rest from cultured cells and mice. A snow mushroom gel therefore turns on three things: choosing the right raw material and reading its polysaccharide content correctly, keeping the gel network stable alongside a negatively charged polymer, and making measured claims — moisturizing and softer-feeling skin, tested on the finished product itself. Butter-C offers turnkey OEM/ODM manufacturing, from formulation and testing to a labeled finished product with its notification dossier.
Formula base
Snow mushroom polysaccharide, humectants, gel network and preservation
A snow mushroom gel is a water-based moisturizing gel that also carries snow mushroom polysaccharide; what is specific lies in reading the raw material correctly and keeping the gel stable once a negatively charged polymer is added.
Snow mushroom polysaccharide — know the raw material
A polysaccharide from the fruiting body of Tremella fuciformis, described as a glucuronoxylomannan: a mannose-rich backbone with xylose and glucuronic acid side chains, negatively charged (Xu et al., 2020; Wolosik et al., 2026). It has no defined formula; molecular weight and composition vary with strain, extraction and purification. Not the same as INCI Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract (fruiting-body extract). The raw material is not in Butter-C’s current list — sourced per order, with a COA for every lot.
Supporting humectants
Glycerin, Propanediol, Betaine, Panthenol and Sodium Hyaluronate carry most of the moisturizing work; the “moisturizing” claim belongs to the whole formula and is measured on the finished product, not attributed to snow mushroom alone.
Gel network
Neutralized Carbomer for a clear gel; Hydroxyethylcellulose or Xanthan Gum if carbomer loses viscosity. In an alcohol hand gel, carbomer viscosity fell as the snow mushroom preparation rose from 7 to 15% (Lourith et al., 2021) — the gel network is settled on real samples.
Preservative system
A water base rich in polysaccharides needs a robust preservative system: Phenoxyethanol with Ethylhexylglycerin and Disodium EDTA, confirmed by an ISO 11930 challenge test (factory practice). Because the polysaccharide is negatively charged, cationic preservatives or polymers are not used as the backbone until compatibility is tested.
Key technical points
Use level, texture, comparison with HA and safety file
The four points below are where a snow mushroom gel differs from an ordinary moisturizing gel.
No “standard” use level
The sources we checked give no standard level and CIR has no use-concentration data; the level follows each supplier’s TDS. Keep the preparation percentage apart from the polysaccharide percentage: in the trial by Lourith et al. (2021), 10% of the extract preparation corresponded to more than 0.10% polysaccharide in the finished product.
Texture and tack
Snow mushroom polysaccharide solutions are shear-thinning and behave more gel-like as concentration rises (Xu et al., 2020). High levels make the gel thick and can leave a tacky after-feel — the level is settled by sensory testing on samples (formulation experience).
Not “plant hyaluronic acid”
Hyaluronic acid is a chain of N-acetylglucosamine and glucuronic acid; snow mushroom polysaccharide has a mannose backbone — two different substances. Published head-to-head data come from cultured cells (Wolosik et al., 2026); there is no comparison of skin hydration in people. A gel can contain both, but snow mushroom is not claimed to “replace” or “outperform” HA.
Regulation and safety file
Snow mushroom polysaccharide is not listed in ASEAN Annexes II, III, VI (06/2026 edition) or VII (12/2025 edition), so there is no specific % limit. There is no dedicated CIR report; two CIR reports on polysaccharide gums (2015, 2016) do not list Tremella. Human tolerance data are limited to a 24-hour patch test in 20 people (Lourith et al., 2021) — irritation and tolerance testing on the finished product is a required step in Butter-C’s process.
Three formulation directions
Three snow mushroom gel lines
Clear snow mushroom – glycerin gel
Snow mushroom polysaccharide with glycerin, betaine and panthenol in a clear, oil-free carbomer base; claims of moisturizing and softer-feeling skin — suited to mass channels.
Snow mushroom – hyaluronic acid gel
Sodium hyaluronate added for brands that want a “two moisture-holding polysaccharides” story; HA has its own human data (see the hyaluronic acid article). Each ingredient is listed by its correct INCI; no better-or-worse comparison between the two on the label.
Light snow mushroom gel-cream
A little squalane with a non-ionic emulsifier for dehydrated combination skin in air-conditioned rooms. An opaque white gel, not labeled “oil-free”; centrifuge and heat–cold cycling checks.
Packaging is part of the formula
Tubes or pump bottles limit finger contact, which suits a polysaccharide-rich water base; wide-mouth jars call for a tighter preservative system and challenge testing (formulation experience).
Parameters we monitor
What our R&D team measures on every sample
These are the parameters Butter-C tracks during formulation and scale-up. Specific limits are agreed with you on the approved sample and then written into the product’s in-house specification.
- Incoming snow mushroom certificate
- INCI, polysaccharide or total saccharide content, molecular weight, heavy metals, microbiology, residual solvents — every lot.
- Appearance and clarity
- Against the reference sample; watch for haze, syneresis, color and odor change at 4 °C, room temperature and 40 °C.
- pH
- Measured at 25 °C; kept within the range set for the gel network and preservative system.
- Viscosity
- Rotational viscometer at 25 °C, spindle and speed recorded; tracked through the stability time points because the polysaccharide and electrolytes shift carbomer viscosity.
- Skin hydration
- Capacitance (corneometer) before and after application on volunteers, against the gel base — only if you want to claim hydration figures.
- Human tolerance
- Irritation (patch) and facial tolerance testing on the finished product at an independent test center.
- Microbiology and preservative challenge
- Tested at a GLP / ISO 17025-accredited laboratory; preservative efficacy (challenge) test to ISO 11930.
- Packaging compatibility
- Filled into the actual tube or bottle; watch for deformation, odor change and water loss.
Claims
Claims for a gel containing snow mushroom polysaccharide
In people, the placebo-controlled source we found is the trial by Lourith et al. (2021): 20 people, an alcohol hand gel with 10% snow mushroom preparation, a single application to the back of the hand, capacitance-measured hydration higher than placebo up to 180 minutes — a multi-ingredient product with short follow-up. Antioxidant and collagen results come from cultured cells, mice or oral dosing (Fu et al., 2021; Lin et al., 2023; Xu et al., 2024); the review by Mineroff and Jagdeo (2023) notes that clinical studies are still needed. Results belong to the product studied and do not become claims for a moisturizing gel. Butter-C reviews label and marketing wording when preparing the notification dossier.
Moisturizes and leaves skin feeling soft (measured on the finished product)
Instead of: hydrates many times more than HA, “plant HA” that replaces HA.
Helps skin look plump and smooth (only once assessed on the finished product)
Instead of: fills wrinkles, reverses aging, boosts collagen.
Contains snow mushroom polysaccharide (Tremella Fuciformis Polysaccharide)
Instead of: protects skin from UV, antioxidant action in the skin, cell or mouse results presented as benefits.
Suited to normal and dehydrated combination skin (skin-type description)
This describes the user, not an effect. Instead of: restores the skin, calms inflamed skin.
No ingredients of animal origin (when confirmed in writing by the supplier)
Instead of: “edible, therefore safe”, “hypoallergenic”.
Directions and label reminders
Patch-test on a small area first; avoid the eyes; stop if redness or itching occurs; close after use; keep out of reach of children. Pregnancy and breastfeeding: data are insufficient, ask a doctor.
Manufacturing specifications
Available capabilities
- Texture
- Clear oil-free gel, or an opaque white light gel-cream.
- Snow mushroom raw material
- Not in Butter-C’s current raw-material list — sourced per order; COA for every lot, labeled by INCI.
- Pack formats
- Tubes, pump bottles. Volume agreed when packaging is selected.
- Minimum order quantity
- Agreed per order — depends on the formulation direction and pack format chosen.
- Testing
- Performed at a GLP / ISO 17025-accredited laboratory, with a certificate of analysis for every batch.
- Dossier
- Product Information File (PIF) and cosmetic product notification prepared by Butter-C, with the snow mushroom COA and the formula’s safety assessment.
- Packaging
- Label design, printing and packing run in parallel with formulation.
Suggested product concept
Clear snow mushroom – HA – panthenol gel, oil-free, fragrance-free
One product direction to help you picture the idea — not a ready-made product for sale. The actual formula is built around your brand’s positioning and price range.
Snow mushroom polysaccharide in the name
Level per TDS, settled by sensory testing; fully dissolved in the water phase before the gel is formed.
Glycerin, panthenol, sodium hyaluronate
The moisturizing part of the gel; the “moisturizing” claim rests on testing the finished product.
Clear, oil-free, fragrance-free gel
Absorbs quickly and suits hot, humid climates; leaving out fragrance reduces potentially sensitizing ingredients.
50 ml tube
Tight cap; the label carries patch-test and avoid-the-eyes directions.
Customization options
What you can specify
The same format can serve very different customers. Tell us your requirements in the areas below and our pharmacists will build the matching formula.
Snow mushroom level
Set at the outset because it decides thickness, tack and raw-material cost; state whether the figure is the preparation or the polysaccharide percentage.
Companion humectants
Glycerin, betaine, panthenol, sodium hyaluronate, beta-glucan — chosen for the desired skin feel and brand story.
Texture
Clear oil-free gel or light gel-cream.
Additional actives
None, or niacinamide at the level given on the niacinamide serum page; each active carries its own claims based on its own data.
Hydration testing
To print hydration figures on the label, capacitance testing on volunteers with the finished product is needed — a separate cost.
Ingredient direction
Alcohol-free, fragrance-free, no animal-derived ingredients — please state these at the outset so suitable raw materials and documents can be chosen.
Further reading
Related knowledge
Snow mushroom (Tremella fuciformis) in cosmetics
Structure, how it differs from hyaluronic acid, current evidence, safety and ASEAN status (in Vietnamese).
Moisturizing gel OEM/ODM manufacturing
The general page on gel networks and humectants; this page focuses on snow mushroom.
Hyaluronic acid serum OEM/ODM manufacturing
A serum built on hyaluronic acid of several molecular weights.
Beta-glucan essence OEM/ODM manufacturing
Another moisture-holding polysaccharide; sources include yeast, oats and mushrooms.
Hyaluronic acid in cosmetics
Hydration, molecular weight and use — for a fair comparison with snow mushroom (in Vietnamese).
How we work
From idea to finished batch
Eight steps and three milestones signed off by both sides: approved sample, notification number, finished batch. Step-by-step details →
Get started
Tell us about the product you plan to launch
Send us your product direction and expected volume. Our team will get back to you during business hours (Vietnam time, GMT+7).
Head office: Huu Le village, Dai Thanh commune, Hanoi · Factory: Thanh Oai Industrial Cluster, Binh Minh commune, Hanoi, Vietnam
Hotline +84 967 176 511 · [email protected] · Privacy policy ← Full catalog