Po
Polyacrylate-13
Polyacrylate-13
A quick-thickening polymer — builds a smooth gel, suspends particles, and keeps oil and water mixed.
What it does
A synthetic polymer that usually comes with a helper so it thickens quickly in water across a range of pH. It builds a smooth gel, keeps particles suspended, and helps keep oil and water mixed.
The evidence, graded
expert consensusUS safety reviewers (final report, October 2026) say products use polyacrylate-13 to form a film, at up to 3.4% in face products. Its large molecules are unlikely to pass through skin. In a patch test on 108 people, a skin care product with 3.5% caused no irritation or allergy. They judged it safe as used, and asked makers to keep leftover acrylamide low. Airbrush use had too little data.Nguyen 2026 · Cosmetic Ingredient Review ↗
Graded per the methodology: strong · moderate · emerging · expert consensus. A weak source on a strong claim gets the weaker label.
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