Upsalite® is the first and only mesoporous magnesium carbonate — a patented, multifunctional powder invented at Uppsala University, Sweden. One gram holds around 500 m² of internal surface area, which lets it absorb oil and moisture inside its pores instead of on the particle surface.
The secret is in the pores. Four properties separate Upsalite® from every other absorbent powder in use today.
A pore volume of more than 0.5 cm³/g enables significantly higher oil and moisture uptake than commonly used ingredients.
Absorbs oil and moisture within its porous network — not just on the particle surface, where traditional powders stop.
Captures both hydrophilic (water, sweat) and lipophilic (oil, sebum) substances simultaneously.
Its irregular architecture scatters light for a soft-focus, blurring effect — and adheres to skin better than spherical particles like silica.
Upsalite® is a synthesized amorphous, mesoporous magnesium carbonate with millions of pores per particle, a narrow pore size distribution centered between 3–6 nm, and an extraordinarily high surface area of around 400–500 m²/g. Under an electron microscope the difference is visible: oil disappears into the porous network while conventional powders carry it on their surface.
Upsalite® absorbs inside its porous structure; conventional powders absorb on the particle surface. That single difference drives capacity, speed and skin feel.
| Upsalite® | Talc | Silica | Mica | Cornstarch | Kaolin | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Absorption mechanism | ● Inside the porous network | Surface only | Surface only | Surface only | Surface, swells | Surface only |
| Oil absorption time* | ● ~5 min | ~6 min | ~61 min | — | ~15 min | ~4 min |
| Absorbs oil + sweat simultaneously | ● Yes | No | Partial | No | Partial | No |
| Soft-focus / blurring effect | ● Yes — light-scattering architecture | Moderate | Low | Shimmer | Low | Low |
| Surface area | ● ~400–500 m²/g | Low | High | Low | Low | Low |
| Microplastic-free mineral | ● Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes (starch) | Yes |
Comparison values from internal lab testing and published literature; to be reviewed before publication. Long-term, each comparison gets its own page (/compare/talc, /compare/silica …).
For over 100 years, researchers tried and failed to synthesize a porous form of magnesium carbonate. In 2012, Professor Maria Strømme and her colleagues at Uppsala University's Division of Nanotechnology & Functional Materials invented it — serendipitously, during pharmaceutical research. The result was named after the city: Upsalite®, the impossible material made possible.
Upsalite® (C101) is verified by ECOCERT GREEN LIFE, compliant with the COSMOS Standard and without animal origin (F363(COS)v09, issued 02/11/2021).
Natural Origin Index of 0.99 per ISO 16128-2 2017 — a Derived Mineral. Available with a Natural Origin Index of 1.00 by request.
Not classified as a nanomaterial under EU and US regulations, determined by a Tier 2 analytical method.
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