AQUAPOL® – Carbomer at its best

“Transforming formulation with superior thickening and gelling.”

AQUAPOL® is a next-generation multifunctional polymer delivering exceptional thickening and gelling performance across cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. Its unique rheology allows formulators to create stable, refined, and consumer-preferred products with ease.

In cosmetics and personal care, texture defines the user experience. AQUAPOL® ensures silky, smooth, and consistent textures in creams, gels, lotions and serums. Its superior suspending and stabilizing capabilities enable uniform dispersion of actives, pigments, and oils, supporting lightweight yet luxurious formulations.

From high-viscosity creams to transparent gels, AQUAPOL® enhances product aesthetics and performance across skincare, haircare, and beauty applications. Highly efficient at low concentrations and broadly compatible with excipients, it provides robust stability while supporting cost-effective, innovative formulations.

AQUAPOL® SF-1

Effortless clarity, reliable performance

AQUAPOL® SF-1 (Acrylates Copolymer) is a lightly cross-linked polymer dispersion crafted for high-performance cleansing formulations. This cold-processable anionic, non-associative, alkali-swellable thickener is supplied as a low-viscosity liquid making it convenient to handle and highly efficient from a manufacturing perspective.

Rapid thickening, effortless handling and outstanding stability in surfactant-rich systems is offered by 30% active content. Beyond viscosity control, it enhances suspension, flow, and product aesthetics delivering both technical precision and consumer appeal.

Applications

• Shampoos: Clear, Pearly, Conditioning
• Face Cleansers: Clear, Pearly, Exfoliating
• Body Cleansers: Clear, Pearly,
• Conditioning, Exfoliating
• Others: Liquid hand washes, Bath gels

Advantages:

• INCI – Acrylates Copolymer
• Non-associative rheology modifier for precise viscosity control
• Delivers excellent clarity in transparent formulations
• Works synergistically with surfactants and salts
• Easy-to-incorporate liquid form for streamlined processing
• Effective suspension of insoluble ingredients (e.g., silicones, beads)
• Compatible with a wide range of surfactants and cosmetic solvents
• Enhances the visual impact of pearlizing agents
• Consistent performance across a broad pH range

Relationship of concentration to viscosity and yield stress: AQUAPOL® SF-1

The graph highlights the rheological characteristics of AQUAPOL® SF-1 when dispersed in water and neutralized. With increasing concentration, the polymer shows a smooth and consistent enhancement in both viscosity and yield value.

The rise in viscosity ensures a rich, stable texture, while the increase in yield value indicates improved suspension capacity, preventing settling of actives and maintaining product uniformity. Together, these attributes make AQUAPOL® SF-1 a versatile thickening and stabilizing system suitable for a wide range of cleansing and personal care formulations.

AQUAPOL® SF-1 also demonstrates excellent compatibility with common cosmetic solvents. At typical use levels, it sustains stability and rheological performance without compromise.

AQUAPOL® SF-22

Advanced thickening for challenging systems

AQUAPOL® SF-22 (Acrylates/Steareth-20 Methacrylate Copolymer) is a hydrophobically modified alkali-soluble polymer emulsion (HASE) designed for modern formulations. Supplied as a low-viscosity liquid, it is cold-processable and delivers instant thickening upon neutralization. Containing 30% active polymer, it delivers rapid thickening upon neutralization.

Engineered for sulphate free and difficult to thicken systems, AQUAPOL® SF-22 combines robust rheology with superior clarity, flow control, and stability. Its shear-thinning behavior enhances processability.

Applications

• Shampoos, Body and Face Cleansers,
• Hair Gels, Lotions & Creams, Foaming
• Washes, Liquid Soaps, Depilatories

Superior shear-thinning performance: AQUAPOL® SF-22

Upon neutralization, AQUAPOL® SF-22 forms a clear, viscous gel with a smooth texture and no tackiness. The hydrophobic groups anchored to its polymer backbone play a critical role in imparting pronounced shear thinning properties, These hydrophobic associations are governed by weak van der Waals forces, which easily disengage under applied shear. As a result, the gel structure temporarily loosens, enabling effortless pumping, pouring, or spreading of the formulation even at high zero-shear viscosity levels, enabling effortless pumping, pouring, or spreading even at high viscosities.

Once the shear is removed, the network rapidly rebuilds, restoring thickness and ensuring the formulation remains stable at rest. This reversible response not only improves processability and end-user convenience but also provides excellent stability.

See the full leaflet on AQUAPOL® – Carbomer at its best here:

(click the picture to download the leaflet)

Source: Vikram Thermo brochure AQUAPOL® – Carbomer at its best

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