ANDREA MITAROTONDA
Consultant in Cosmetic Formulation Chemistry, United Kingdom

This product is being advertised as a “clinically proven treatment that is able to immediately hydrate and soften the skin”.

From a formulation stand point, this oil-in-water system does not make use of traditional emulsifiers: the aqueous and fatty phases have been stabilised using two acrylic-derived polymers, i.e. Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer and Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer.

The former is a copolymer of sodium hydroxyethyl acrylate and acryloyldimethyl taurate monomers.

It works by the so called Hydro Swelling Droplet (HSD) mechanism: the polymer is pre-neutralised (i.e. Sodium salt) and it will immediately swell once in contact with water.

The polymer chain will then uncoil providing both viscosity and stabilisation of the oil droplets in the aqueous medium.

The latter is a cross-linked copolymer of C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate and monomers of Acrylic or Methacrylic Acid or one of their esters.

Depending on the nature of monomers, molecular weight, degree of cross-linking and nature of cross-linkers, several copolymers can be obtained all described by the same INCI name.

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