Polyglyceryl-3 ●
TL;DR. This ingredient primarily functions as a humectant and solvent-support ingredient, helping bind water and improve the feel of water-based formulas. It can also support solubilization and mildness in surfactant or emulsion systems.
What does Polyglyceryl-3 do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient primarily functions as a humectant and solvent-support ingredient, helping bind water and improve the feel of water-based formulas. It can also support solubilization and mildness in surfactant or emulsion systems.
Is Polyglyceryl-3 clean?
It is generally well tolerated and has little clean-standard friction when properly purified. The main review points are residual catalyst, unreacted starting material, and whether the feedstock is plant-derived or petroleum-derived.
Is Polyglyceryl-3 sustainable?
This material is commonly made from a widely available feedstock that can be plant-derived, often from vegetable oil processing. It is water soluble, expected to be readily biodegradable, and does not raise persistence or bioaccumulation concerns.
Is Polyglyceryl-3 COSMOS-approved?
It is generally compatible with COSMOS-natural and COSMOS-organic formulas when made from permitted feedstocks and processed under the standard’s chemical rules. From a Green Chemistry view, it aligns well when renewable input material and efficient condensation processing are used.
How does Polyglyceryl-3 work chemically?
The molecule is a short oligomer built from glycerol units connected mainly through ether linkages, giving it high polarity, water solubility, and strong hydrogen-bonding behavior. It is typically stable across normal cosmetic pH ranges and is used at low-to-moderate levels as a moisture-binding, solvent-support, or sensory modifier in aqueous systems.
Last updated 2026-05-13