Polyethylene Terephthalate ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is mainly used as a synthetic film-former, bulking agent, or solid particle for visual effects such as sparkle and texture in makeup, nail, and body products. It can also add slip, structure, or durability to a formula.
What does Polyethylene Terephthalate do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is mainly used as a synthetic film-former, bulking agent, or solid particle for visual effects such as sparkle and texture in makeup, nail, and body products. It can also add slip, structure, or durability to a formula.
Is Polyethylene Terephthalate clean?
This ingredient has clean-standard friction because it is a synthetic microplastic when used as particles or glitter, and many restricted lists exclude or limit that category. Skin irritation is usually low for the intact polymer, so the concern is more about persistence and end-of-life than direct dermal reactivity.
Is Polyethylene Terephthalate sustainable?
This material is typically petroleum-derived and is not readily biodegradable under normal wastewater or environmental conditions. Its small-particle uses raise microplastic persistence concerns, especially in rinse-off or shed-prone formats.
Is Polyethylene Terephthalate COSMOS-approved?
It is not permitted under COSMOS natural or organic standards when used as a synthetic plastic particle or film-forming polymer. It has weak Green Chemistry alignment because it relies on nonrenewable feedstocks and has poor biodegradability, even though the finished polymer is chemically stable.
How does Polyethylene Terephthalate work chemically?
This material is a high-molecular-weight condensation polymer built from aromatic ester repeat units, which gives it chemical inertness, high melting point, and very low water solubility. In cosmetics it remains stable across normal formulation pH ranges and is used where persistent particles or films are desired rather than where biodegradation is part of the design.
Last updated 2026-05-13