Polyethylene

Polyethylene is a cosmetic ingredient used as an abrasive, film forming agent. It appears in about 2% of cosmetic products in our 90,000+ product dataset. It carries no restriction under the EU Cosmetics Regulation annexes. PubMed carries 6,153 studies of its skin or topical use.

INCI namePOLYETHYLENE
FunctionABRASIVE, FILM FORMING, VISCOSITY CONTROLLING
CAS number9002-88-4
Prevalence1,615 products (1.74% of dataset)
Most used inMakeup
EU statusNo annex restriction
Scientific studies6,153 on PubMed (skin/cosmetic/topical)
Monthly searches27,100

Used in

Lipsticks 13.1%Lip Moisturizers 10.8%Blushes 6.5%Eyeshadows 6.3%Eyeliners 6.2%Sunscreens 4.8%

Frequently asked

What does Polyethylene do in skincare?
Polyethylene functions as an abrasive, film forming agent in cosmetic formulas.
What products contain Polyethylene?
It is most commonly found in Makeup products, especially lipsticks (13.1% of its uses).

Manufacturers with experience using Polyethylene

Match with vetted US contract manufacturers that have hands-on experience formulating with this ingredient.