Poloxamer 407

Poloxamer 407 is a nonionic surfactant/solubilizer and gel former commonly used in cleansers, micellar products, and drug-delivery gels at low-to-moderate percentages, and it is generally well tolerated on skin and mucosa in clinical use. However, as a surfactant it can contribute to barrier lipid disruption and dryness/irritation in highly reactive or eczematous skin—especially in leave-on cleansing waters or when layered with other irritants—so it is not fully inert. Overall it fits a very gentle profile for most sensitive-skin users, with a small but real irritation potential in compromised barriers. Safety Notes: In commercial skincare, Poloxamer 407 is commonly used at very low levels (~0.05–1%) as a solubilizer/surfactant in micellar waters, makeup removers, and some cleansers, with occasional use up to ~3–5% to boost mild cleansing and improve rinse feel. The highest consumer-available levels occur in poloxamer-gelled aqueous systems (notably thermoreversible “cold-process” gels and some high-clarity gel cleansers/makeup removers), where Poloxamer 407 is the primary structurant and can reach ~15–25% depending on desired gel strength; these are OTC and used both leave-on and rinse-off, though very high levels are more typical of rinse-off/cleansing or gel vehicle formats.