Chapter 13 - The Use of Polymers in Cosmetic Products

Abstract

A multitude of polymers are used to deliver desired attributes to skin and hair in personal care products. This review is directed to recent trends in the use of polymers to deliver personal care attributes. The goal of the chapter is to narratively explain the physical inner workings of polymeric ingredients in cosmetics rather than to list a litany of all of the polymers. It is hoped that this approach will enable the reader to understand the basic mechanisms, the fundamental processes, and the critical limits that underpin performance, and thereby to enable the reader to apply the knowledge gained across a wide swath of existing polymers and even to polymeric systems that still remain to be discovered. The chapter begins by examining the physical foundations of polymer solutions and rheology modifiers, starting with simple entangled networks and proceeding to hierarchically structured materials, synthetic and natural, and thence to stimuli-responsive polymeric systems. Consideration of surface-modifying polymers and transfer-resistant systems completes this basic review. Next comes film-forming and phase behavior, which sets the scene for understanding the roles of polymers in hair styling and conditioning and skin treatment. This all leads naturally to a brief review of the role of polymers in the delivery of therapeutic benefits, and consideration of the use of polymers as antimicrobial agents. At the present time, polymers are coming under increasing environmental and ecological scrutiny. Even as the industry moves to more sustainable ingredients, it will be necessary for industry participants to carefully scrutinize the environmental and ecological impact of polymeric ingredients.