Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is a synthetic rheology modifier that thickens water-based formulas and helps suspend particles or droplets. It also stabilizes emulsions by building a gel network around the oil phase.
What does Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is a synthetic rheology modifier that thickens water-based formulas and helps suspend particles or droplets. It also stabilizes emulsions by building a gel network around the oil phase.
Is Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer clean?
From a clean-beauty perspective, it is usually well tolerated on skin because its large polymer size limits penetration. The main friction is not irritation, but its status as a synthetic, persistent polymer and the need for tight control of residual monomers from manufacturing.
Is Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer sustainable?
This material is typically petroleum-derived and is not considered readily biodegradable. Its environmental profile is weaker than plant-derived or readily degradable thickeners because it can persist after rinse-off use.
Is Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer COSMOS-approved?
It is not aligned with COSMOS-natural or COSMOS-organic standards, which generally do not permit this type of synthetic persistent polymer. From a Green Chemistry lens, it has limited fit because it relies on petrochemical feedstocks and lacks ready biodegradability, even though it can work at low use levels.
How does Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer work chemically?
The molecule is a high molecular weight, crosslinked anionic polymer with hydrophobic C10-30 side chains that swell in water after neutralization and create viscosity through a three-dimensional gel network. Typical use levels are about 0.1% to 1.0%, with best performance after neutralization in roughly the pH 5.5 to 10 range, while high electrolyte loads and strongly cationic systems can reduce viscosity.
Last updated 2026-05-13