undefined 1
Polyhydroxyethylmethacrylate
AKA “PHEMA, poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)”
Ingredient
Make this about you

Tap what applies — every card instantly flags it for you. Stays on your device, syncs if you're signed in.

Ingredient Facts
Polyhydroxyethylmethacrylate
AKA: PHEMA, Poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)
Ingredient · Binding · EWG: 4
Synthetic
Not Clean
Homopolymer of hydroxyethyl methacrylate
CAS #
25249-16-5
Form
Powder
See origin →
Functions
Binding
Holds Formula Together
Holds ingredients together
Traditional Use
Developed in the mid-20th century as a synthetic polymer. Used in cosmetics as a film-former and thickener, originally derived from polymer chemistry research in the plastics industry.
Skin Types
●all-skin-types
Best For
General
Pregnancy & Breastfeeding Safe
Yes
EWG
4
CIR
Safe as used
Pregnancy
Yes
CIR Safety Findings
Not a Sensitizer
medical-approval
all-shades-safe
Regulatory Status
USA✔ permitted
EU⚠ restricted
JAPAN⚠ restricted
CANADA⚠ restricted
Verified Jun 2026
Data: CosIng · EWG · CIR