Sodium Carbomer

Sodium carbomer is a crosslinked polyacrylate gelling/thickening polymer typically used at low concentrations (~0.1–1%) to stabilize texture and suspend actives, and it is not intrinsically reactive or exfoliating. Clinical and patch-testing experience generally shows very low irritation potential, with occasional stinging or dryness more often attributable to the overall formula (pH, alcohols, surfactants) rather than the polymer itself. For highly compromised or post-procedure skin, I still assign a small nonzero risk due to rare individual sensitivity and the possibility of barrier discomfort in already-inflamed patients. Safety Notes: In commercial skincare, sodium carbomer (neutralized carbomer) is typically used as a rheology modifier/gel former at very low levels (~0.05–0.30%) in serums, lotions, and cleansers where it mainly provides viscosity and suspension. Higher-viscosity consumer gel products (e.g., clear facial gels, hydrogel-type moisturizers, some aftersun/aloe gels) commonly run ~0.5–1.0%, and the highest OTC ‘gel base’/single-phase thick gels sold to consumers can reach about 2.0% to achieve very firm, high-yield stress textures (above this is uncommon due to tack/drag and processing limits). Leave-on and rinse-off products overlap strongly, with rinse-off often sitting at the low end because less structure is needed at use.