Quaternized carboxymethyl chitosan/organic montmorillonite nanocomposite as a novel cosmetic ingredient against skin aging

•Chitosan derivative/organic montmorillonite composite (QCOM) was prepared.•QCOM had good moisture-absorption and retention ability and UV-protection capacity.•A cosmetic cream containing QCOM was prepared and evaluated for skin-care activity.•QCOM cosmetic cream had good moisture-retention efficacy on human stratum corneum.•QCOM showed its potential to be an active cosmetic ingredient against skin aging. It is of technical and economic importance to develop an effective cosmetic ingredient against skin aging through low-cost and facile production. This study developed a polymer/layered silicate nanocomposite as cosmetic ingredient against skin aging. Firstly, quaternized carboxymethyl chitosan (QCMC)/organic montmorillonite (OMMT) nanocomposite (QCOM) was fabricated via solution-induced intercalation. QCOM with different mass ratios of QCMC to OMMT were studied by various characterizations as well as moisture-adsorption and retention activities and UV-protection capacity. QCOM was then added into a cosmetic formulation to prepare a cosmetic cream. And the evaluation of its efficacy about skin care was conducted. The results showed that the optimal QCOM had better moisture-adsorption and retention behaviors than hyaluronic acid, and QCOM solution displayed good UV-protection ability. Furthermore, the QCOM-containing cosmetic cream meets the hygienic standard for cosmetics; it has negligible dermal irritation and a prominent moisture-retention efficacy on human stratum corneum.