Polaxamer 407 ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is used as a nonionic surfactant, solubilizer, and emulsifier, especially for dispersing oils, fragrance components, and actives in water-based formulas. It can also help create thermoreversible gels in certain aqueous systems.
What does Polaxamer 407 do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is used as a nonionic surfactant, solubilizer, and emulsifier, especially for dispersing oils, fragrance components, and actives in water-based formulas. It can also help create thermoreversible gels in certain aqueous systems.
Is Polaxamer 407 clean?
It is generally low-irritation and well tolerated, but clean-beauty programs may flag it because it is a synthetic ethoxylated and propoxylated material. Manufacturing quality matters because residual monomers and 1,4-dioxane need tight control.
Is Polaxamer 407 sustainable?
This material is petrochemical-derived and not a strong fit for renewable-sourcing goals. As a synthetic water-soluble polyether, it is not considered readily biodegradable, so persistence is the main environmental concern.
Is Polaxamer 407 COSMOS-approved?
It is not permitted under COSMOS-natural or COSMOS-organic standards as a synthetic petrochemical polyether. From a Green Chemistry view, it has useful performance at low levels but weak alignment on renewable feedstock and biodegradability.
How does Polaxamer 407 work chemically?
The molecule is an amphiphilic block copolymer with hydrophilic polyether segments around a more hydrophobic central polyether segment, which lets it form micelles and solubilize lipophilic materials in water. Typical use ranges run from about 0.1% to 5% for solubilizing or surfactant support, and much higher levels, often around 15% to 30%, can form temperature-responsive gels.
Last updated 2026-08-31