Abstract

Polymers play a prominent role in various cosmetic products and are the second main excipients employed toward the preparation of cosmetic products. They offer a wide range of accompaniments to impart value addition for cosmetic formulations, which often varies on the nature of polymers employed. Further, based on the type of polymer, they may be employed as film formers, fixatives, rheology modifiers, associative thickeners, emulsifiers, stimuli-responsive agents, conditioners, foam stabilizers, skin-feel beneficial agents, and so on. This entry focuses on fundamentals, achievements to date, latest trends, and future directions of polymers in cosmetic formulations. Various aspects of cosmetic products have been systematically discussed with a detailed account on polymers in cosmetics and current state-of-the-art research on various cosmetic formulations. This entry is aimed at drawing an imperative interest of researchers, academicians, and students operating in polymer and materials research domain particularly on polymer-based research.