Polyphenylsilsesquioxane ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is primarily a film-former and texture modifier, creating a glossy, water-resistant film in color cosmetics, sunscreens, and long-wear makeup. It can also improve slip, adhesion, and pigment payoff.
What does Polyphenylsilsesquioxane do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is primarily a film-former and texture modifier, creating a glossy, water-resistant film in color cosmetics, sunscreens, and long-wear makeup. It can also improve slip, adhesion, and pigment payoff.
Is Polyphenylsilsesquioxane clean?
This ingredient has clean-standard friction because it is a synthetic, persistent film-forming polymer rather than a readily biodegradable material. Skin irritation potential is generally low, but stricter clean frameworks often flag this material category for environmental persistence.
Is Polyphenylsilsesquioxane sustainable?
This material is synthetically produced from mineral-derived and petrochemical feedstocks. It is not readily biodegradable and is expected to persist in the environment after rinse-off or product removal.
Is Polyphenylsilsesquioxane COSMOS-approved?
It is not permitted under COSMOS-natural or COSMOS-organic standards. From a Green Chemistry perspective, it scores poorly on renewable sourcing and end-of-life biodegradability, even though it is stable and effective at low use levels.
How does Polyphenylsilsesquioxane work chemically?
This compound is a three-dimensional organosilicon polymer network with phenyl groups attached to a Si-O-Si framework, which gives it hydrophobicity, gloss, and film strength. It is water-insoluble, stable across typical cosmetic pH ranges, and usually needs oily or volatile carriers for even dispersion in formulas.
Last updated 2026-05-13