Ingredient glossary
Polyglutamic Acid
On your shelf ✓What Polyglutamic Acid does for your skin, who it suits, and what to watch for.
INCI: Polyglutamic Acid · Also: PGA, Gamma Polyglutamic Acid
In short: Polyglutamic Acid delivers hydration and barrier support, suits most skin types, and the evidence behind it is emerging.
- What it does
- Hydration, barrier support
- Best for
- Most skin types
- Evidence
- Emerging
- How long
- Straight away
The Glow take
Genuinely worth a spot in your routine.
When your goal is deep, lasting hydration, Polyglutamic Acid pulls genuine weight, though the proof is still catching up to the excitement. Gentle enough that most skin types can reach for it.
— Maya
What it does
- hydration
- barrier support
- texture
emerging evidenceEarly cosmetic trials with hyaluronic acid combinations show sustained increases in hydration firmness and elasticity for up to eight weeks yet studies specifically isolating polyglutamic acid remain few.
On a label: usually effective at 0.1-3%.
Who it's for, and who should skip it
Tends to suit
- dry
- dehydrated
- normal
- combo
- sensitive
Approach with care
No specific group flagged to avoid it.
- Clogs poresLow
- Irritation riskLow
How it fits each skin type
- DrySuits
- CombinationSuits
- OilySuits
- SensitiveSuits
Where it fits in your routine
This one works on contact — there is nothing to wait for.
What that covers, and what it does not
Measured on: Corneometer surface hydration.
A charged, film-forming polyanion binds water at the surface as soon as the film sets, so the reading the row is scored on (hydration 9) moves within the hour; nothing is being remodelled. Because the effect is the film, it is also removed by the next cleanse - the hydration is held while the product is on, not banked - and no measurement shows repeated use adding to the single-application result. The only supporting measurement is a five-panellist supplier test reading corneometry two hours after application (about +13.5%, ahead of 5% glycerol), which is not a trial, so the bucket rests on the physics rather than on that panel. Missing is any time course for the durable claims the row also scores - barrier 6, firmness, texture - where the cited work runs PGA alongside hyaluronic acid over eight weeks and cannot separate the two.
Supplier corneometry panel (n=5, 0.2% PGA vs 5% glycerol, 2 h post-application); mechanism of a hygroscopic polyanion film. No PMID claimed.
Plays well with
- hyaluronic acid
- humectants
- ceramides
Polyglutamic Acid, answered
Is Polyglutamic Acid safe during pregnancy?
Yes. Polyglutamic Acid 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 Polyglutamic Acid?
No specific group is flagged to avoid Polyglutamic Acid. It is well tolerated by most skin. Still, introduce anything new one product at a time.
What concentration of Polyglutamic Acid actually works?
Polyglutamic Acid tends to do its job in the 0.1 to 3% range. Much lower and it is likely underdosed.
Commonly confused with
- Hyaluronic acidBoth are humectants that pull in water. Polyglutamic acid holds even more and sits on top; hyaluronic draws moisture in.
Compare Polyglutamic Acid with
- Hyaluronic acid
- Pro-vitamin B5
- Sodium PCA
- Aloe
- Butylene Glycol
- Propanediol
- Betaine
- Trehalose
- Xylitol
- Hydroxyethyl Urea
- Glycereth-26
- Tremella Fuciformis Extract
- Beta-Glucan
- Hydrolyzed Collagen
- Honey
- Pentylene Glycol
- Crosslinked sodium HA
- Propylene Glycol
- Hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid
- Acetylated Hyaluronic Acid
- Fructooligosaccharides
- Hexylene Glycol
Can you mix Polyglutamic Acid with
This, for every label you own
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