Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is a synthetic rheology modifier and polymeric emulsifier. It thickens water-based formulas, builds gel textures, and helps stabilize oil-in-water emulsions without a separate traditional emulsifier system.
What does Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is a synthetic rheology modifier and polymeric emulsifier. It thickens water-based formulas, builds gel textures, and helps stabilize oil-in-water emulsions without a separate traditional emulsifier system.
Is Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer clean?
From a clean-beauty perspective, it is usually considered low-irritation and not a fragrance allergen or sensitizer of common concern. The main friction is that it is a synthetic film-forming polymer, so some clean standards and retailer lists treat it less favorably than readily biodegradable, naturally derived thickeners.
Is Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer sustainable?
This material is synthetically made, generally from petrochemical feedstocks, and is not considered readily biodegradable. Its use level is low, but its persistence profile creates environmental alignment concerns compared with starches, gums, celluloses, and other biodegradable texture agents.
Is Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer COSMOS-approved?
It is not aligned with COSMOS-natural or COSMOS-organic expectations for cosmetic polymers. From a Green Chemistry lens, it scores poorly on renewable sourcing and end-of-life biodegradability, even though it can deliver strong thickening at low concentrations.
How does Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer work chemically?
It is a high-molecular-weight synthetic anionic polymer that swells in water to form a hydrated network, giving shear-thinning viscosity and emulsion stabilization. Typical use is about 0.2 to 2%, and performance can be reduced by high electrolyte levels or strongly cationic co-ingredients.
Last updated 2026-05-13