Ingredient glossary
Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
On your shelf ✓What Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer does for your skin, who it suits, and what to watch for.
INCI: Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
In short: Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer delivers viscosity control and emulsification, plays a broad, supporting role, and the evidence behind it is strong. One thing to know: needs the right pH to work.
- What it does
- Viscosity control, emulsification
- Best for
- A broad, supporting role
- Watch out
- Needs the right pH to work
- Evidence
- Strong
What it actually is
The Glow take
Nice to have, and nothing to overthink.
Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer plays a quiet supporting role, rounding out a formula rather than being the reason you buy it.
— Maya
What it does
- viscosity control
- emulsification
- film forming
strong evidenceThe CIR panel's 2017 review of crosslinked alkyl acrylates found them safe as used when formulated to be non irritating and not polymerized in benzene; reported leave-on use runs about 0.1 to 2 percent with maxima near 5 percent. All the evidence concerns rheology and safety, none of it concerns skin benefit.
On a label: usually effective at 0.1-2%.
Who it's for, and who should skip it
Tends to suit
No specific skin type. It is a broadly used ingredient.
Approach with care
No specific group flagged to avoid it.
- Clogs poresLow
- Irritation riskLow
- pH-dependentIts effect depends on the product's pH
How it fits each skin type
- DryNeutral
- CombinationNeutral
- OilyNeutral
- SensitiveNeutral
Where it fits in your routine
Plays well with
- emulsifiers
- film formers
Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, answered
Is Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer safe during pregnancy?
Yes. Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer is considered safe to use during pregnancy and breastfeeding. As with anything, if you are unsure it is worth a quick word with your doctor or midwife.
Who should avoid Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer?
No specific group is flagged to avoid Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer. It is well tolerated by most skin. Still, introduce anything new one product at a time.
What concentration of Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer actually works?
Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer tends to do its job in the 0.1 to 2% range. Much lower and it is likely underdosed.
This, for every label you own
One ingredient is easy. A full label is where it gets confusing. The Ingredient Decoder reads any product and tells you the honest truth, ingredient by ingredient.
Sources & how we reviewed this
- PMID 29025328abstract only, the full text is paywalled