Polyacrylate-14 ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is a synthetic film-forming polymer used to create flexible hold, adhesion, and a smooth feel in hair, makeup, and skin products. It can also help suspend pigments or improve wear by forming a continuous film as water or solvent evaporates.
What does Polyacrylate-14 do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is a synthetic film-forming polymer used to create flexible hold, adhesion, and a smooth feel in hair, makeup, and skin products. It can also help suspend pigments or improve wear by forming a continuous film as water or solvent evaporates.
Is Polyacrylate-14 clean?
From a clean-beauty lens, it is often a restricted-list friction point because it is a non-biodegradable synthetic polymer rather than a readily degradable cosmetic raw material. Skin irritation is typically low due to large molecular size, but residual monomers and clean-standard policies on synthetic polymers drive the scrutiny.
Is Polyacrylate-14 sustainable?
It is generally made from petrochemical-derived monomers and is expected to persist as a high-molecular-weight polymer in wastewater and sludge. Its sustainability profile is mainly limited by fossil feedstock reliance and weak biodegradability.
Is Polyacrylate-14 COSMOS-approved?
It is not permitted under COSMOS-natural or COSMOS-organic because it is a synthetic polymer that does not meet the standard’s natural-origin and biodegradability criteria. In Green Chemistry terms, the main drawbacks are fossil feedstock reliance, limited end-of-life breakdown, and polymerization chemistry that is not inherently circular.
How does Polyacrylate-14 work chemically?
The molecule is a high-molecular-weight anionic film-former with ionizable carboxylate groups along a carbon-carbon backbone, supplied in water or as a dispersion depending on grade. Typical formula use is often in the low single digits, with performance influenced by neutralization state, electrolyte load, and co-solvents; it is generally stable across mildly acidic to alkaline cosmetic pH ranges but can lose viscosity or film quality in high-salt systems.
Last updated 2026-08-16