Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer ●
TL;DR. It acts as a water-binding film former and gel-network modifier, helping leave a flexible hydrated layer on skin while improving slip and viscosity.
What does Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer do in a cosmetic formula?
It acts as a water-binding film former and gel-network modifier, helping leave a flexible hydrated layer on skin while improving slip and viscosity.
Is Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer clean?
From a clean-beauty perspective, it is usually well tolerated on skin because the polymer is large and not very bioavailable. The main friction is its synthetic polymer status and potential trace residual monomers, which place it outside stricter natural-leaning standards.
Is Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer sustainable?
It is typically made by synthetic polymerization from petrochemical and glycerol-derived feedstocks. It is water soluble but not considered readily biodegradable, so its environmental profile is weaker than that of simple plant-derived humectants.
Is Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer COSMOS-approved?
It is generally not permitted under COSMOS-natural or COSMOS-organic because it is a synthetic polymer outside the allowed natural-origin ingredient set. Its Green Chemistry fit is limited by nonrenewable feedstock contribution and low biodegradability, though it is used at low levels and often processed in water.
How does Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer work chemically?
The molecule is a high-molecular-weight, water-swellable anionic polymer with hydroxyl-rich side groups and carboxylate groups on a carbon backbone. It is stable in water-based gels and emulsions across typical cosmetic pH ranges, and its thickening and film feel depend strongly on hydration level, salt load, and neutralization state.
Last updated 2026-05-13