Divinyldimethicone/Dimethicone Copolymer ●
TL;DR. This ingredient primarily acts as a texture modifier, film-former, and conditioning agent, giving formulas slip, cushion, and a smooth finish. It can also help thicken oil phases and reduce a greasy feel in creams, primers, sunscreens, and hair products.
What does Divinyldimethicone/Dimethicone Copolymer do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient primarily acts as a texture modifier, film-former, and conditioning agent, giving formulas slip, cushion, and a smooth finish. It can also help thicken oil phases and reduce a greasy feel in creams, primers, sunscreens, and hair products.
Is Divinyldimethicone/Dimethicone Copolymer clean?
From a clean-beauty perspective, this material has friction because it is a synthetic silicon-based polymer rather than a skin-active or readily biodegradable ingredient. It is generally low-irritation, but many clean standards flag this class for persistence and poor alignment with natural-product criteria.
Is Divinyldimethicone/Dimethicone Copolymer sustainable?
This material is made from non-renewable mineral and petrochemical-derived inputs through energy-intensive chemistry. It is not readily biodegradable and may persist in wastewater sludge or sediments, although its large polymer structure limits mobility.
Is Divinyldimethicone/Dimethicone Copolymer COSMOS-approved?
It is not permitted under COSMOS-natural or COSMOS-organic standards because the standard generally excludes synthetic, non-biodegradable silicon-based polymers. Its Green Chemistry fit is weak due to non-renewable inputs, limited biodegradability, and end-of-life persistence.
How does Divinyldimethicone/Dimethicone Copolymer work chemically?
The molecule is a crosslinked silicon-oxygen polymer network with methyl-substituted chains, designed to swell in oils and create a soft, elastic film. It is chemically inert across typical cosmetic pH ranges, heat-stable in standard processing, and often used as part of a dispersed gel or elastomer blend rather than as a fully water-soluble additive.
Last updated 2026-05-13