Carbomer ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is a gel-forming thickener, rheology modifier, and suspension stabilizer used to give lotions, gels, serums, and cleansers body and clarity. It helps keep particles, droplets, and actives evenly dispersed in water-based formulas.
What does Carbomer do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is a gel-forming thickener, rheology modifier, and suspension stabilizer used to give lotions, gels, serums, and cleansers body and clarity. It helps keep particles, droplets, and actives evenly dispersed in water-based formulas.
Is Carbomer clean?
Clean-beauty standards are split: many retailer programs accept it because it is typically low-irritation and used at low levels, while stricter natural standards flag it as a synthetic persistent polymer. Modern cosmetic grades are controlled for residual monomer and legacy solvent concerns through specification limits.
Is Carbomer sustainable?
This material is typically made from petrochemical feedstocks and is not considered readily biodegradable. Its very high molecular weight limits skin penetration and bioaccumulation, but its environmental profile is weaker than readily biodegradable natural gums or cellulose-derived thickeners.
Is Carbomer COSMOS-approved?
It is not permitted in COSMOS-natural or COSMOS-organic formulations because it is a synthetic petrochemical polymer. From a Green Chemistry view, it scores poorly on renewable sourcing and biodegradability, though it is efficient at very low use levels.
How does Carbomer work chemically?
The molecule is a high-molecular-weight, crosslinked anionic polymer that swells in water after neutralization, forming clear gels by electrostatic repulsion along the polymer network. Typical use levels are about 0.1% to 1.0%, with best viscosity around mildly acidic to neutral pH, and performance can drop in high-electrolyte systems or with strong cationic ingredients.
Last updated 2026-05-13