What do the Clean, Low, Watch and Swap levels mean?

They are cut from a continuous concern level the app computes from the sourced claims that the chosen evidence lens shows: each claim counts its concern class, tier weight, confidence and dose relevance, combined worst-first with a decay so one serious finding outweighs many small ones, then scaled by how much of the substance reaches you in this use. Clean is below 0.35, Low below 1.1, Watch below 2.0 and Swap above that, on a 0 to 3 scale.

Is Acrylates Copolymer safe on skin (left on)?

Q: Is acrylates copolymer safe on skin (left on)?

Under the app's default Cautious lens, acrylates copolymer on skin (left on) rates Watch: worth watching; the app would list a cleaner alternative type. 2 sourced concerns count (environmental, consensus tier; irritant · allergen, emerging tier). This is research with sources, not medical advice.

Cosmetics1 use researched2 sourced claims

Where it turns up: film former, nail, mascara adhesion. Detox My Life researched acrylates copolymer under one use, because the same substance means something different in each use. Every claim below carries its evidence tier, how sure the research is that it applies here, and the sources it cites. The level is computed by the app's own deterministic engine, so the page says exactly what the app would.

Level by use and lens

Use	Mainstream	Cautious (default)	Based	Concerns · favour · fringe
On skin, left on	Low	Watch	Watch	2 · 0

Mainstream shows consensus claims only; Cautious adds emerging research; Based adds fringe claims, labelled as such. The last column counts, under Cautious, the sourced concerns, the findings in its favour and the fringe claims Based would add.

Safer swaps: the app's swap catalog covers the products this turns up in: Nail polish. Alternatives are always types, never brands.

On skin, left on Watch

Under the default Cautious lens acrylates copolymer on skin (left on) rates Watch: worth watching; the app would list a cleaner alternative type. Mainstream (consensus only) rates it Low; Based (adds the fringe) rates it Watch. Researched 2026-09-03.

Sourced concerns (2)

ConsensusEnvironmentalconfidence 100%

Acrylates copolymer is classified as a microplastic and is not biodegradable, contributing to microplastic pollution when it enters aquatic ecosystems after being rinsed off from cosmetic products.

Why here: As a film-former and thickener in leave-on cosmetic products, acrylates copolymer will eventually be washed off and enter wastewater systems, where it is not effectively removed by treatment processes.
What would have to be true: Dermal application of leave-on cosmetic products containing acrylates copolymer, leading to eventual rinse-off and entry into aquatic environments.

Sources the engine cites (no regulator, review or study among them):

3 community or commercial pages, not counted here.

EmergingIrritant · allergenconfidence 80%

While generally considered non-toxic and non-irritating for most skin types with a low sensitization risk when properly formulated, acrylates copolymer has shown non- to mildly irritating properties in some animal studies and rare cases of mild skin irritation have been reported in very sensitive individuals, often attributed to the overall product formulation rather than the polymer itself.

Why here: Direct and prolonged contact with skin in leave-on products can potentially lead to irritation or sensitization in susceptible individuals.
What would have to be true: Dermal application of leave-on cosmetic products containing acrylates copolymer.
The other side: The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel and the EU Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) consider acrylates copolymers to have a low sensitization risk when properly formulated, and studies have found no evidence of skin sensitization.

Sources the engine cites (no regulator, review or study among them):

1 web article (ireadlabelsforyou.com), linked in the app.

Not researched here

The engine has no dossier for acrylates copolymer when cooked with heat, in cold food, as a finishing ingredient, in heated food packaging or other uses. The app researches an ingredient for the use it infers from your product, so a scan fills these in; this page only shows what has already been researched and source-verified.

This is research, not medical advice. Detox My Life shows sourced claims sorted by evidence tier. It does not diagnose, treat, or tell you to start or stop anything. Talk to a qualified professional about your health.

Scan your own. The app reads any product label with your camera, works out how you are about to use it, and researches every ingredient for that use with live sources. Every scan adds to a Detox Score for your home, where 50 is a typical home in your region, and a plan of next swaps.

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