Xian, Shaanxi, China – October 24, 2026
When you formulate with curcumin, the first constraint is not the chemistry — it is the color. A bright yellow powder tints the base, casts on skin, and stains packaging. Tetrahydrocurcumin powder is the hydrogenated form: white to off-white, same curcumin skeleton, none of the yellow. Here is what that changes on your line — and what to verify before you quote.
Why curcumin’s color is a formulation problem
Curcumin is a bright yellow compound. In a white cream, a clear serum or a light-colored beverage, that yellow is not a minor note: it tints the base, shifts the shade of every other ingredient, and can leave a yellow cast on skin and packaging. Formulators work around it with opacifiers, masking systems or a darker base color — each of which adds cost and changes the sensory profile. If your brief is a colorless or white product, the color is a constraint you have to solve before the formula is finished.
What tetrahydrocurcumin actually is
Tetrahydrocurcumin (THC) is the hydrogenated metabolite of curcumin. The hydrogenation saturates the double bonds in the chain, so THC lacks the α,β-unsaturated carbonyl moiety that curcumin carries (Pandey et al., 2020; PubMed 33241148). The result is a different physical profile from the same skeleton: THC is a white to off-white powder, typically standardized at 95%, with CAS 36062-04-1 and molecular formula C21H24O6. It is not a different plant or a different extract — it is curcumin with the unsaturated chain reduced.
Same curcumin skeleton, opposite color behaviorCurcuminbright yellow powderα,β-unsaturated carbonyltints base / casts on skincolor becomes a formulation costTetrahydrocurcuminwhite to off-white powdersaturated chainno yellow castbase color stays neutralHydrogenation removes the double bonds — and the yellow.Both are curcumin skeletons. The hydrogenated form is white, so it does not tint the base.What the white form changes on your line
The most immediate change is visual. Published work describes THC as white and notes that it can be used in colorless cosmetics and food products where a colored ingredient would be a problem (Majeed et al., 2019; PubMed 30766658). In practice:
There is a second difference: stability. The same work reports that THC is more stable than curcumin in 0.1 M phosphate buffer at pH 7.2 and 37°C (Majeed et al., 2019; PubMed 30766658) — relevant if your formula sits at neutral pH or has a long shelf life. One caution: white does not mean water-soluble. THC is insoluble in water and soluble in organic solvents such as acetone, ethyl acetate, chloroform and isopropanol (Majeed et al., 2019; PubMed 30766658). For an aqueous serum or beverage, you still need a dispersion or delivery route; the white color solves the tint, not the solubility.
The specification to ask for
When you request a quote for tetrahydrocurcumin powder, ask for the parameters that decide whether the lot behaves in your formula — not just the name. For a 95% grade, the specification should read:
A yellow-tinted lot, or a COA that lists only “tetrahydrocurcumin” without an assay, is a reason to ask before you buy. The white-to-off-white appearance is not cosmetic — it is the physical signal that you are buying the hydrogenated form, not a yellow curcumin blend.
Where it fits
THC is positioned for colorless cosmetics (creams, serums, gels, masks), light-colored foods and beverages, and capsules or tablets where color matters less but stability matters. Some brands run both molecules in one range: THC where the base must stay white, curcumin where the α,β-unsaturated carbonyl chemistry is the point. They are not interchangeable — the choice follows the formula, not the label.
For the powder-grade listing, see our tetrahydrocurcumin powder page. For the colorless grade with the specification above, the product card below is the starting point.
Colorless curcumin derivative · 95%Tetrahydrocurcuminoids 95% (Tetrahydrocurcumin)
White to off-white powder, 95% assay (HPLC). Hydrogenated curcumin with no α,β-unsaturated carbonyl — built for colorless cosmetics and light-colored food formats. Insoluble in water; soluble in acetone, ethyl acetate, chloroform and IPA.
View product & spec →Request a sample or quote
As a China-based supplier of tetrahydrocurcumin powder, we supply the 95% white-to-off-white grade with a per-batch COA. Send us your RFQ for tetrahydrocurcumin powder — tell us your target assay and your format (colorless cream, serum, light-colored beverage, or capsule), and we will return a specification you can formulate against.
About Us
Xi’an Ceres Biotech Co., Ltd. was established in 2008 and is headquartered in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, China. It is a high-tech enterprise focusing on providing natural plant active ingredients for the global pharmaceutical, nutritional and health products, functional foods, beverages and cosmetics industries.
Media ContactCompany Name: Xi’an Ceres Biotech Co., Ltd.Contact Person: Media RelationsEmail: Send EmailCountry: ChinaWebsite: https://www.ceresherb.com/
