POLYACRYLAMIDE

📋 Quick facts

Description: POLYACRYLAMIDE — thickener, film-forming agent.

All Functions: thickener, film-forming agent

Quick Facts:

• Category: other
• Regulatory Note: Restricted in the EU

Proven Benefits At A Glance:

• Polyacrylamide is affirmed safe as a cosmetic ingredient at typical use concentrations by an expert safety panel
• The ingredient has been studied in hydrogel forms for flexible, skin-like properties in research applications
• When combined with nanoparticles in lab studies, polyacrylamide-based materials showed antimicrobial and antioxidant properties
• Research on polyacrylamide hydrogels suggests potential for wearable sensing applications, though this is still experimental

⚗️ Chemical Overview

Acrylamide is a colorless, odorless, crystalline solid that can react violently when melted. When it is heated, sharp fumes may be released.Acrylamide is used to make polyacrylamide, which is mainly used in treating waste water discharge from water treatment plants and industrial processes.In addition, acrylamide and polyacrylamides are used in the production of dyes and organic chemicals, contact lenses, cosmetics and toiletries, permanent-press fabrics, paper and textile production, pulp and paper production, ore processing, sugar refining, and as a chemical grouting agent and soil stabilizer for the construction of tunnels, sewers, wells and reservoirs.Acrylamide is formed in foods that are rich in carbohydrates when they are fried, grilled, or baked. Acrylamide can cause cancer according to The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It can cause developmental toxicity and male reproductive toxicity according to The National Toxicology Program’s Center for the Evaluation of Risks to Human Reproduction. Acrylamide appears as white crystalline solid shipped either as a solid or in solution. A confirmed carcinogen. Toxic by skin absorption. Less dense than water and soluble in water. May be toxic by ingestion. Used for sewage and waste treatment, to make dyes, adhesives. The solid is stable at room temperature, but upon melting may violently polymerize. Toxic, irritating to skin, eyes, etc.

Source(s): Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), CAMEO Chemicals, via PubChem

📊 Comedogenicity

🛡️ Safety rating

Safety tier is a starting heuristic from regulatory status and comedogenic rating, not a dermatological verdict — see our Terms for the full disclaimer. Research confidence reflects how many real cited studies back this ingredient, not the strength of their findings.

🌍 Regulatory Status

💧 Skin Type Compatibility

⚠️ Don’t Combine With

📚 Research & Evidence

🔬 The Science

Polyacrylamide is a synthetic polymer that has received safety clearance for use in cosmetics. The International Journal of Toxicology (2023) reports that an Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety reviewed updated safety data and reaffirmed their original 1991 conclusion that polyacrylamide is safe when used as a cosmetic ingredient at the concentrations and in the product types described in current practice. Beyond basic safety, researchers have explored polyacrylamide in hydrogel form—a gel-like material that absorbs water—for various experimental applications. #1: In materials science research, polyacrylamide hydrogels have been engineered to mimic skin-like mechanical properties, including flexibility and stretchability (ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2021).

These hydrogels can be made transparent and soft while remaining strong enough to withstand significant stretching—properties being investigated for wearable electronic sensors that track body movement, though these applications remain in the research phase and are not current skincare products. #2: When polyacrylamide is chemically modified and combined with metal nanoparticles (silver or gold) in laboratory studies, the resulting materials have shown antimicrobial and antioxidant properties in controlled testing (Biometals, 2024). Specifically, polyacrylamide-based nanocarriers with silver nanoparticles demonstrated the ability to scavenge free radicals and inhibit bacterial biofilms in vitro. However, these are experimental formulations under investigation as potential alternatives to conventional antibiotics, not established skincare ingredients.

#3: Blood compatibility testing of a polyacrylamide-based nanocomplex containing zinc oxide nanoparticles showed good hemocompatibility at low concentrations, though the researchers note that testing at high concentrations revealed hemolysis at doses above 400 mg/L (Nanotechnology, 2023). This research is relevant to medical device development rather than topical skincare. In summary, polyacrylamide itself is established as safe for cosmetic use at normal concentrations. The bulk of recent research focuses on experimental hydrogel and nanoparticle formulations that remain in early-stage development and are not yet common in consumer skincare products.

📄 Related Research

Matched by search — not necessarily verified support for every statement above.

• Raj PS et al. (2023). Polyacrylamide. Int J Toxicol.
• Yi FL et al. (2021). Polyacrylamide Hydrogel Composite E-skin Fully Mimicking Human Skin. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces.
• Tkachenko A et al. (2024). Antibacterial and antioxidant activity of gold and silver nanoparticles in dextran-polyacrylamide copolymers. Biometals.
• Zhang W et al. (2022). Gradient adhesion modification of polyacrylamide/alginate-calcium tough hydrogels. J Mater Chem B.
• Onishchenko AI et al. (2023). Hemocompatibility of dextran-graft-polyacrylamide/zinc oxide nanosystems: hemolysis or eryptosis?. Nanotechnology.

🧴 Products Containing POLYACRYLAMIDE

• Disaar Vitamine c
• Martine Mahé Shampooing reflets à l’huile de camélia
• du monde à la Provence Flora : crème jour à l’argan bio parfum rose
• PEGGY SAGE Gommage Corps Fleur de Cerisier
• Provence Santé crème légère anti âge
• Clarins Clarins Men Anti-rides fermeté
• Fior di Magnolia Crema Mani Rapido Assorbimento con Estratto di Menta Acquatica e Aloe Vera
• Neutrogena Gel de Limpeza Facial Neutrogena Hydro Boost
• Neutrogena Hydro Boost Aqua-Gel
• Les Cosmetiques Crema antiedad de día para piel mixta y grasa booster plan
• Les Cosmetiques Crema antiedad de día para piel normal y seca booster plan
• Ducrem Emulsion reparadora y refrescante
• Carrefour Soin de jour hydratant fondant
• John Frieda FRIZZ esse Traumlocken
• Moisturiser
• Aveeno daily moisturizer with salicylic acid
• Brompton hand cream
• Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel
• Neutrogena Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel-Cream Eye
• L’Oréal Paris True Match Lumi Glotion
• Olay regenerist
• Nautical Nonsense Palette
• Equate beauty Hydration Gel
• defining curl talk cream
• Uppercut Deluxe Uppercut Deluxe Matte Pomade
• StriVectin TL Advanced Tightening Neck Cream PLUS
• Panier des Sens crème de la reine
• Bioderma Bioderma Lait de toilette ABCDerm
• Totalist, Yanbal Totalist Crema Anti Arrugas Jalea Real
• simonds pantalla solar crema
• Leader Price Homme Baume après rasage sans alcool
• Vita Citral Baume Protecteur Hydratant Intense 24H
• Sports Akileine NOK anti-frottements
• Sports Akileïne Nok
• Guerlain Abeille Royale – Masque Gel Miel Réparateur
• Guerlain Crème jour – Abeille Royale
• Christian Dior DIOR Hydra Life – Sleeping Masque Gelée
• Monoprix Crème mains réparatrice peaux très sèches
• Sephora SUPERMASK – The Mud Mask
• Bioderma Cicabio crème