All gums are made of a gum base a gum base is a non-nutritive, non-digestible, water-insoluble masticatory delivery system used to carry sweeteners, flavors and any other desired substances, so technically the gum is entirely made of the gum base. Gum bases can be made of chicle, the sap of a sapodilla; natural latexes formed by the secretions of plants, or polyisobutylene a synthetic rubber.

The fibers in the gum base cling to the fibers in the natural oils more easily and more tightly then to the fibers in the dry hairs, so the natural oil fibers pull the gum away from the hair and break it down. The more natural oils the better.