Ingredients

Polyacrylamide

What polyacrylamide does as a gel thickener in creams and sunscreens, how it differs from acrylamide, and what the safety limit is.

By Nora Ellison · Published

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Quick facts

INCI name
Polyacrylamide
Origin
Synthetic
Chemical class
Synthetic polymer (acrylamide polymer)
What it does in a formula
binding, film forming, viscosity controlling
Why it is in the formula
Thickens creams and lotions into a smooth gel texture and helps a film stay on skin.
Regulatory notes
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review panel concluded polyacrylamide is safe as used when the level of leftover acrylamide monomer in the finished formula is no more than 5 ppm.

What is Polyacrylamide?

Polyacrylamide is a synthetic polymer, a very large molecule built by linking many units of acrylamide together. In cosmetics it’s used as a thickener and film former.

The name sounds like acrylamide, and that’s where the worry usually comes from. Acrylamide, the small starting chemical, is a known neurotoxin in people and caused cancer in animal tests. Polyacrylamide is a different, much larger molecule. The safety question is how much unreacted acrylamide is left over after manufacturing.

On the products we cover, polyacrylamide usually appears next to laureth-7 and C13-14 isoparaffin, in moisturizers, gel creams, eye creams and sunscreens.

What does Polyacrylamide do?

  • Thickens. It turns a thin, watery mix into a smooth cream or gel.
  • Forms a film. It’s listed as a film former and binder, so it can help a product hold together on skin.
  • Helps lotions feel smooth. The safety review describes it adding lubricity in lotions and creams.

It’s a texture ingredient. It isn’t there to treat anything.

Who is Polyacrylamide for?

It suits most skin types. The safety review found the polymer too large to penetrate the skin. Leftover acrylamide can be absorbed, which is why the panel set its limit: no more than 5 ppm of acrylamide monomer in the finished formula. EU rules are stricter for leave-on products.

You can’t see the acrylamide level on a label, so you’re relying on the manufacturer to meet those limits. If you’d prefer to avoid polyacrylamide anyway, plenty of moisturizers thicken with other polymers or gums such as xanthan gum or carbomer.

What to pair Polyacrylamide with, and what to avoid

There’s nothing to pair in your routine. It works inside the formula with the emulsifiers and oils. If you’re choosing a moisturizer, the moisturizer guide covers what matters most for your skin type.

Quick picks with Polyacrylamide

Picked from label facts only. We haven't tested these products.

All 10 products with Polyacrylamide

Daily Moisturizers & Water Gel Creams (3)

Sheet, Hydrogel & Clay Masks (2)

Gel, Foam & Cream Facial Cleansers (1)

Targeted Vitamin C & Brightening Correctors (1)

Daily Sunscreens & SPF Moisturizers (1)

Eye Creams & Under-Eye Patches (1)

From stores: products with Polyacrylamide

Store-listed products whose ingredient list we've checked.

Mineral Pressed Powders & Skin-Nourishing Primers (1)

Common questions

Is polyacrylamide the same as acrylamide?

No. Polyacrylamide is a large polymer made by linking many acrylamide units together. Acrylamide is the small starting chemical, and it's the one with health concerns. The cosmetic safety limit is about how much leftover acrylamide remains in the finished product.

Is polyacrylamide safe in skincare?

A cosmetic safety panel concluded it is safe as used when the finished formula contains no more than 5 ppm of leftover acrylamide. The polymer itself is too large to pass through the skin.

What does polyacrylamide do in a moisturizer?

It thickens the formula into a smooth gel-cream texture and can help it leave a light film on skin. It's a texture ingredient, not an active.

Sources