Baby Safety / Compounds / Carbomer

Is Carbomer safe for babies and kids?

Moderate risk for kids

Infants are more vulnerable to Carbomer than children or adults due to immature hepatic/renal clearance, higher intake-to-body-weight ratio, rapid organ development, and increased gastrointestinal absorption.

What is carbomer?

Also known as: Polyacrylic acid, Polyacrylsäure, Polyacrylzuur, Ácido poliacrílico.

CAS number
9003-01-4
SMILES
OC(=O)C(-*)C-* |$;;;;star_e;;star_e$,lp:0:2,2:2,Sg:n:1,3,2,5,0::ht|

Risk for babies

Moderate risk

Infants are more vulnerable to Carbomer than children or adults due to immature hepatic/renal clearance, higher intake-to-body-weight ratio, rapid organ development, and increased gastrointestinal absorption.

Neonates and infants up to 12 months have incomplete blood-brain barrier development, immature Phase I/II metabolic enzymes (particularly CYP3A4, UGT1A1), and higher gastrointestinal permeability. Equivalent doses produce higher internal concentrations and longer residence times.

What to do: Minimize infant exposure through source control. For breastfeeding mothers: reduce maternal exposure. For formula-fed infants: use certified low-migration bottles and verified water sources. Consult pediatrician regarding any concerns.

Risk for pregnant and nursing people

Context-dependent

Pregnancy alters the metabolism and distribution of Carbomer, potentially increasing fetal exposure. The developing embryo/fetus is vulnerable during organogenesis (weeks 3-8) and neurological development. Placental transfer should be assumed.

No specific reproductive toxicity data identified, but pregnancy-specific safety data is limited for most chemicals. Precautionary minimization of exposure is recommended.

What to do: Minimize exposure during pregnancy and lactation. Consult healthcare provider regarding specific risks. Consider alternative products with lower hazard profiles.

Regulatory consensus

2 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified Carbomer. The classifications differ — that's the data.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
EPA CTX / IARC—Group 3 - Not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans
EPA CTX / Genetox—Genotoxicity: negative (Ames: None, 1 positive / 3 negative reports)

Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.

Where kids encounter carbomer

  • Consumer Products — Cosmetics, Hand sanitizer, Pharmaceutical gels, Eye drops

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Carbomer:

  • Physical/mechanical pest control (IPM)
    Trade-offs: More labor-intensive. May not be sufficient for severe infestations.
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×

Frequently asked questions

Is carbomer safe for kids?

Infants are more vulnerable to Carbomer than children or adults due to immature hepatic/renal clearance, higher intake-to-body-weight ratio, rapid organ development, and increased gastrointestinal absorption.

What products contain carbomer?

Carbomer appears in: Cosmetics (Consumer products); Hand sanitizer (Consumer products).

What should I do if my child is exposed to carbomer?

Minimize infant exposure through source control. For breastfeeding mothers: reduce maternal exposure. For formula-fed infants: use certified low-migration bottles and verified water sources. Consult pediatrician regarding any concerns.

See Carbomer in the baby app

Look up products containing carbomer, compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.

Open in baby View raw API data

Sources (2)
  1. EPA CompTox Chemicals Dashboard — DTXSID50873988 — epa
  2. ATSDR Toxicological Profile — CAS 9003-01-4 — reference

Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →