POLYACRYLAMIDE
POLYACRYLAMIDE is a synthetic polymer made by joining many acrylamide units. Because it is a large polymeric material, it behaves very differently from acrylamide as an individual small molecule: it is included to give a formula structure and to form a film, rather than as a skin-treatment active.
POLYACRYLAMIDE: what it is
POLYACRYLAMIDE is a synthetic polymer made by joining many acrylamide units. Because it is a large polymeric material, it behaves very differently from acrylamide as an individual small molecule: it is included to give a formula structure and to form a film, rather than as a skin-treatment active.
It is not an oil, plant extract, or protein, even though polymer names can resemble naturally derived ingredients. Seeing it on an ingredient list does not reveal its amount or the finished product's texture; it identifies a material that can be selected to organise the formula and influence how the product spreads or stays on a surface.
POLYACRYLAMIDE: what it does in cosmetics
In cosmetics, polyacrylamide can form a thin, continuous film. This can help a product sit more evenly where it is applied; in hair products, its antistatic action can reduce the electrical charge that makes strands fly away and harder to lay flat.
Its binding function can also help the components of a formula stay together, which is useful when a product needs to retain body or cohesion. The plausible result concerns the formula's behaviour and finish, not the removal of wrinkles, treatment of acne, or a biological change to skin or hair.
POLYACRYLAMIDE: conditions and care
In the European Union, polyacrylamides in leave-on body products must contain no more than 0.1 mg/kg of residual acrylamide; in other products, the limit is 0.5 mg/kg. This value concerns residual monomer, not the amount of polyacrylamide added to the cosmetic.
Restrictions and conditions of use
Products containing this ingredient
See which products include it and the name used in each composition.
