Polyacrylamidomethylpropane Sulfonic Acid ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is primarily a viscosity builder, gel former, and stabilizing polymer in water-based creams, gels, and serums. It helps suspend particles and gives formulas a smooth, cushiony texture.
What does Polyacrylamidomethylpropane Sulfonic Acid do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is primarily a viscosity builder, gel former, and stabilizing polymer in water-based creams, gels, and serums. It helps suspend particles and gives formulas a smooth, cushiony texture.
Is Polyacrylamidomethylpropane Sulfonic Acid clean?
From a clean-beauty perspective, it often receives scrutiny because it is a synthetic film-forming and gel-forming polymer that can carry trace residual monomers from manufacture. Cosmetic grades are typically purified and used at low levels, but it may appear on restricted or non-preferred lists that limit synthetic persistent polymers.
Is Polyacrylamidomethylpropane Sulfonic Acid sustainable?
It is made by polymerization from synthetic feedstocks rather than renewable botanical or mineral sources. Large water-soluble polymers of this type are generally not readily biodegradable, so environmental persistence is the main sustainability concern.
Is Polyacrylamidomethylpropane Sulfonic Acid COSMOS-approved?
It is generally not permitted in COSMOS-organic or COSMOS-natural formulations because it falls outside the standard’s allowed ingredient categories for cosmetic raw materials. Its Green Chemistry fit is limited by synthetic feedstocks and poor biodegradability, despite useful performance at low use levels.
How does Polyacrylamidomethylpropane Sulfonic Acid work chemically?
It is a high-molecular-weight anionic polymer with amide side groups and strong acid groups that remain ionized across normal cosmetic pH, which supports efficient water-phase thickening and good electrolyte tolerance compared with many neutral gums. It is typically used at low percentages, often below 2%, and final viscosity depends on proper wet-out, hydration, neutralization state, and shear history.
Last updated 2026-08-20