Common Name(s): Carbopol crosspolymer,polyacrylic acid network,standard gel polymer
DESCRIPTION
What It Does: Provides standard transparent polyacrylic acid gel thickening.
Why It's Used: Baseline synthetic gel thickener โ the non-hydrophobically modified acrylates crosspolymer provides the standard reference gel texture for aqueous formulations, with excellent clarity and precise viscosity control from the simplest crosslinked polyacrylic acid network.
How It Works: Crosslinked polyacrylic acid (no alkyl modification). requires neutralisation (naoh/tea/arginine โ gel). very transparent. low use: 0.2-1%. wide compatibility. salt-sensitive (electrolytes can collapse gel at high concentration). standard serum/gel texture.
Typically Found In: Serums,gels,standard cosmetic gel
TECHNICAL DETAILS
Primary Category: Active ingredient โ cosmetic active
Secondary Functions: Skin conditioning
Application Areas:
Facial Skincare
Body Care
Hair Care
Beard Care
Color Cosmetics (Makeup)
Dietary/Oral Supplements
Typical Concentration Range: 0.1%โ1%
SOURCING & ETHICS
Vegan Status: Yes โ synthetic
Halal Status: Yes
Source Notes: Commercially produced for cosmetic use. verify vegan/halal status with supplier.
SKIN COMPATIBILITY
Irritancy Rating: 1/5 โ very low
Comedogenicity Rating: 0/5 โ non-comedogenic
Sensitivity Concerns: Well-tolerated by most skin types.
Safe for Sensitive Skin: Yes
SAFETY & COMPATIBILITY
Safety Profile: Good safety profile at recommended concentrations. ewg score: 1โ2.
Works Well With: Standard skincare actives
Avoid Combining With: No known significant incompatibilities
SCIENTIFIC NOTE
Acrylates crosspolymer vs hydrophobically modified crosspolymer (c10-30 acrylate crosspolymer) functional difference: unmodified provides gel thickening only; hydrophobically modified provides both thickening and emulsion stabilisation from oil-droplet anchoring. the alkyl chain addition converts a pure thickener into a rheology modifier + emulsion stabiliser โ the same polymer backbone with fundamentally different formulation function from adding hydrophobic anchor groups.
Last Verified: Cosing database,polyacrylic acid gel polymer technical literature
Primary Sources: 2026-03-12