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Ingredient on hair labels

Sodium Polyacrylate

TheWashDay editorial · Updated · From the EU ingredient register and the makers’ own labels · How we match names

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Sodium Polyacrylate is on 2 of the 177 hair-product labels we compare, from 1 maker. Its uses in the EU ingredient register include hair fixing, emollient and emulsion stabilizing. None of these labels names it among its first five ingredients.

See it on each label Products without it

What it is

The register’s chemical name for it: “2-Propenoic acid, homopolymer, sodium salt.”

EU register name (INCI)
SODIUM POLYACRYLATE
CAS number
9003-04-7 / 25549-84-2

What the register lists it for

These are the uses the European Commission’s CosIng register lists for Sodium Polyacrylate in any cosmetic, hair roles first. They say why a maker might add it, not what it does in one formula, and they aren’t a safety rating.

Hair fixing

Holds a style in place. Gels, foams and creams that promise hold list these near the top.

Register definition: “Permitting physical control of hair style.”

Emollient

Oils, butters and similar ingredients that make a surface feel soft and smooth. On hair they coat the strand; many plant oils carry this role.

Register definition: “Acting as lubricants on the skin surface providing the skin with a soft and smooth appearance.”

Emulsion stabilizing

Keeps a cream’s oil and water from separating on the shelf.

Register definition: “Helping the process of emulsification and improving emulsion stability and shelf-life.”

Film forming

Leaves a thin, continuous film on the hair as it dries. Polymers in gels and foams carry it; the film is what feels like a cast.

Register definition: “Producing (upon application) a continuous film on the skin, hair or nails.”

Viscosity controlling

Makes a product thicker or thinner, so a gel holds its shape or a shampoo pours. Gums, cellulose and some salts carry this role.

Register definition: “Increasing or decreasing the viscosity (thickness) of cosmetics.”

Absorbent

Takes up water or oil. Clays and starches carry this role.

Register definition: “Taking up water- and/or oil-soluble (dissolved or finely dispersed) substances.”

Binding

Holds powders or pressed products together. On a hair label it usually sits beside another listed use.

Register definition: “Providing adhesive properties during and after compression in cosmetic tablets and/or cakes.”

Skin conditioning

The register’s broad role for ingredients that keep skin in good condition. On a hair label it often sits beside a hair role, or marks a plant oil or extract.

Register definition: “Maintaining the skin in good condition.”

Where it sits on each label

US labels list ingredients from most to least, except that those at 1% or less may follow in any order. A name near the top is a large part of the formula. A label doesn’t mark where the 1% point falls, so further down, the order says little about how much is in it.

Every label, product by product (2)

Each line runs from the first name on a label to the last; a dot is where this ingredient sits. Makers change formulas now and then; if the list on your bottle differs, go by your bottle.

Your next step

Find products without Sodium Polyacrylate Check every name on your own label All ingredients on the labels we compare

Other hair fixing ingredients on these labels

Updated · The name, numbers and uses come from the European Commission’s CosIng entry (CC BY 4.0); we write the uses in US spelling and put the hair ones first. The labels are each maker’s own. The order rule is the FDA’s Cosmetics Labeling Guide. All our sources are on the Sources page.