Potassium Carbomer ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is a synthetic thickener and gel-former that builds viscosity in water-based formulas and helps suspend particles or stabilize emulsions. It is often used where a clear, smooth gel texture is needed.
What does Potassium Carbomer do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is a synthetic thickener and gel-former that builds viscosity in water-based formulas and helps suspend particles or stabilize emulsions. It is often used where a clear, smooth gel texture is needed.
Is Potassium Carbomer clean?
From a clean-beauty perspective, it is usually well tolerated on skin, but it has friction because it is a synthetic, non-biodegradable polymer. Some standards and retailers scrutinize this class for persistence rather than direct irritation.
Is Potassium Carbomer sustainable?
This material is typically made from petrochemical feedstocks and is not readily biodegradable. Its main sustainability concern is environmental persistence after rinse-off use, although use levels in formulas are usually low.
Is Potassium Carbomer COSMOS-approved?
It is not permitted under COSMOS-natural or COSMOS-organic standards because it is a synthetic polymer outside the allowed natural and nature-derived material categories. It has limited Green Chemistry alignment due to nonrenewable sourcing and poor biodegradability, despite its low use concentration and low reactivity in finished products.
How does Potassium Carbomer work chemically?
The molecule is a high-molecular-weight, crosslinked anionic polymer supplied as a neutralized salt, allowing it to hydrate and swell in water to create viscosity. Typical use levels are about 0.1% to 1.0%, and performance can drop in high-electrolyte systems or at pH extremes.
Last updated 2026-05-14