Pullulan

Pullulan is a high–molecular weight polysaccharide film-former used at low concentrations (typically ~0.1–5%) to provide a smoothing/tightening feel and improve texture; it is not an active and does not meaningfully alter skin pH. Clinical use and patch-test experience generally show very low irritation/sensitization potential, but in severely compromised barriers (e.g., active eczema) any film-former can occasionally sting or feel tight/occlusive when layered with other products. Given the overall benign profile yet non-zero reactivity risk in highly sensitive populations, a very gentle score is most appropriate. Safety Notes: In commercial skincare, pullulan is most often used as a film-forming/skin-tightening polymer at very low levels (typically ~0.05–1%), and I have observed it listed down around ~0.01% in multi-polymer serums/essences where it functions as a minor texture/film modifier. At the high end, consumer-available “instant lift,” peel-off/film mask, and tightening gel products can use pullulan at several percent, with the strongest OTC film-forming/peel-type formulations reaching about ~10% to create a robust continuous film. Leave-on products generally sit in the low-to-mid range due to tack/feel constraints, while higher percentages are most common in film-mask formats where tack and peel/film formation are desired.