Poloxamer 338 ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is a nonionic surfactant and solubilizer, used to disperse oils, fragrance components, and poorly water-soluble materials in water-based formulas. It can also support mild cleansing, emulsification, and texture control.
What does Poloxamer 338 do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is a nonionic surfactant and solubilizer, used to disperse oils, fragrance components, and poorly water-soluble materials in water-based formulas. It can also support mild cleansing, emulsification, and texture control.
Is Poloxamer 338 clean?
From a clean-beauty perspective, it has friction because it is an ethoxylated synthetic polymer and may require controls for residual ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxane. It is generally low-irritation on skin and eyes when well purified, but many stricter standards flag this chemistry class.
Is Poloxamer 338 sustainable?
This material is petroleum-derived and not considered readily biodegradable. Its high water solubility limits bioaccumulation, but environmental persistence is the main sustainability drawback.
Is Poloxamer 338 COSMOS-approved?
It is not permitted under COSMOS-natural or COSMOS-organic standards because it is a synthetic petrochemical, ethoxylated polymer. Its Green Chemistry fit is weak due to nonrenewable feedstocks, multi-step processing, and limited biodegradability.
How does Poloxamer 338 work chemically?
The molecule is an ABA nonionic triblock copolymer, with hydrophilic ethylene oxide segments surrounding a hydrophobic propylene oxide segment, giving it strong micelle-forming and solubilizing behavior in water. It is typically used at low single-digit percentages for solubilization or higher levels for surfactant systems, and it is broadly stable across common cosmetic pH ranges.
Last updated 2026-05-13