Dimethicone Crosspollymer ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is a texture modifier, film-former, and oil-phase thickener used to give products a smooth, cushiony slip and soft-focus finish. It is common in primers, foundations, sunscreens, and moisturizers for blurring and a non-greasy feel.
What does Dimethicone Crosspollymer do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is a texture modifier, film-former, and oil-phase thickener used to give products a smooth, cushiony slip and soft-focus finish. It is common in primers, foundations, sunscreens, and moisturizers for blurring and a non-greasy feel.
Is Dimethicone Crosspollymer clean?
From a clean-beauty perspective, it has low direct irritation potential but significant restricted-list friction because it is a synthetic, non-biodegradable polymer. Some standards also scrutinize it under microplastic-style policies, depending on particle form and regional definitions.
Is Dimethicone Crosspollymer sustainable?
This material is made from mineral-derived silicon chemistry with fossil-derived carbon inputs, rather than renewable feedstocks. It is not readily biodegradable and is environmentally persistent, which is the main sustainability concern.
Is Dimethicone Crosspollymer COSMOS-approved?
It is not permitted under COSMOS-natural or COSMOS-organic because it is a synthetic polymer outside the allowed ingredient categories. Its Green Chemistry fit is weak due to persistence, limited biodegradability, and reliance on non-renewable or energy-intensive inputs.
How does Dimethicone Crosspollymer work chemically?
The molecule is a crosslinked, high-molecular-weight polymer built from repeating silicon-oxygen units with methyl side groups, creating an elastomeric network that swells in oils and volatile carriers. Typical use ranges are about 0.5 to 10% depending on whether it is supplied as a neat powder or pre-dispersed gel, and it is generally stable across normal cosmetic pH because it is used mainly in anhydrous or emulsion oil phases.
Last updated 2026-05-15