Carbomers Market size is expected to increase from USD 737.43 million to USD 1.62 billion, exhibiting a CAGR of more than 6.4% during the forecast period, from 2025 to 2037. In the year 2025, the industry size of carbomers is estimated at USD 774.6 million.
The market growth is driven by increasing demand for the skin care segment across the globe. It is well known that owing to their liquid form, carbomers are highly used in skin care products. For instance, it was estimated that in 2023, the skin care segment of the cosmetic industry was projected to reach approximately USD 150 billion.
The growing demand for pharmaceuticals and skincare products owing to the products stability and efficiency have stimulated the carbomers market providing it long-term shelf stability. Furthermore, growth of the market can be ascribed to increasing selling rate of various skin care products such as hair removal creams, color cosmetics, facial care, gels, body lotions, and sun care products. Carbomer 934 is a cross-linked polyacrylate polymer that exhibits stability at high temperatures and viscosity along with short-flow rheology characteristics. These are among the most commonly used polymers wherein acrylic acid is crosslinked with allyl ethers of polyalcohol.
Growth Drivers
Growing Demand for Carbomers in Personal Care Products - Carbomers are actively used in personal care products and cosmetics for maintaining the stability of the product. Rapid increases in the demand for sunscreen, exfoliators, masks, skin-tone correctors, anti-aging and skin-lightning creams are the major key factors that are expected to uplift the carbomers market depending on the consumption, globally. Rapidly increasing consumer demand for anti-aging and skin-lightening or brightening skincare products on the back of the rising aging population is among the key factors for higher carbomers' consumption. This has led to the development and formulation of innovative products with active ingredients, which cater to consumers' specific skin requirements. Carbomers are widely used in such preparations. Some skincare products where carbomers are used are skin-lightening and brightening formulations, anti-aging, and exfoliation formulations, masks, skin-tone correctors, sunscreens, and UV protection formulations. For instance, the total sales volume of skin care products was estimated teach approximately USD 200 million across the globe in 2018.
Rising Utilization of Carbomers in Pharmaceutical - Pharmaceutical sector is another major end-use industry wherein carbomers are used in substantial quantities. These acrylic acid polymers provide the functionality of pharmaceutical ingredients. The pharmaceutical industry has upgraded its standard in the global market on the back of rising demand for hand sanitizers, vitamin capsules, and other major medicines being prescribed for daily use. Carbomers are used for rheology modification, bio-adhesion, controlled release of solid dosage forms, and emulsification, among others. For instance, the global pharma industry was anticipated to generate around USD 1.5 trillion in 2021.
Increasing Demand for Polymers – as of 2021, approximately 12 million metric tons of polymers were produced in India. Polymers are highly used in a wide range of industries and such a higher requirement is estimated to boost the market growth over the forecast period.
Growing Incidences of Eye Disease – carbomers are highly used in preparing eye gel since they are runny and function as liquid eye drops. Hence, the higher prevalence of eye disease is expected to expand the market size over the forecast period. For instance, Worldwide the cataract incidence rises with age, varying from 3.9% among those aged 55-64 to 92.6% among those aged 80 and or over.
Challenges
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Base Year |
2024 |
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Forecast Year |
2025-2037 |
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CAGR |
6.4% |
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Base Year Market Size (2024) |
USD 737.43 million |
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Forecast Year Market Size (2037) |
USD 1.62 billion |
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Regional Scope |
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Application (Emulsifiers, Thickeners, Dispersing Agents, Conditioning Agents)
The thickeners segment is estimated to gain largest market share by 2037. The segment growth can be attributed to growing demand for personal care products & cosmetics with stabilizing agents which are used for maintaining product quality for a prolonged time. Rheology modifying agents, such as thickeners, greatly impact the product formulation and thereby enhance the skin feel, product stability, and efficacy of the product. Thickeners are noticed to be highly utilized in the manufacturing of soup & sauces, inks, puddings, explosives, and cosmetics products. For instance, the total value of the paint and coating industry was estimated to be around USD 150 billion in 2021.
End-user (Personal Care & Cosmetics, Pharmaceuticals, Homecare)
The personal care & cosmetics segment is expected to garner a significant share by 2037, on the back of maximum demand for personal care & cosmetics in the global market. The personal care industry is highly regionalized and diverse. Numerous products such as hair care, dyes, fragrances, nail care, bathing, and cosmetics use various chemical ingredients. Some of the most commonly used chemical ingredients are carbomers, polymers, emulsifiers, pigments, thickeners, surfactants, and others. Therefore, continuous innovations in the formulation of various skincare products using such chemical elements are another crucial factor, which is anticipated to propel the segment expansion. The growing awareness of personal hygiene and the surge in the utilization of cosmetics by the global population is also expected to drive the growth of the segment.
Our in-depth analysis of the global market includes the following segments:
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By Product |
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By Polymer Type |
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By Application |
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By End-User |
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APAC Market Statistics
The Asia Pacific carbomers market is predicted to account for majority share by the end of 2037. The market growth is impelled by high production base of personal care and cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and HI&I cleaning products backed by growth in the regional population with the increasing spending capacity. The Asia Pacific region has a higher demand for cosmetics products, hence, the production is also high which is estimated to be the major growth factor of the regional market. For instance, China became the second largest country to spend money on cosmetics products where spent nearly USD 60 billion on cosmetics in 2022.
Europe Market Forecast
The European carbomers market is estimated to observe significant CAGR during the forecast period, propelled by region's high consumption of personal care and cosmetic products, top pharmaceutical manufacturing base, high adoption of carbomers in the region's household, Industrial, or Institutional (HI&I) cleaning products, and many others. Europe has the world's best healthcare facilities and robust healthcare infrastructure which is further driven by countries such as Germany, France, and the United Kingdom. For instance, around 7% of the European healthcare expenditure was estimated to be spent on medical technology in 2021.
Corel Pharma Chem launched a faster film coating, Colorcoat Rapid based on PVA. This film coating is developed to reduce the total cost of coating operations by saving energy and money.
Anhui Newman Fine Chemicals Co., Ltd. launched a new series of carbomers such as Carbomer 20, Carbomer 21, Carbomer 2020, Carbomer 1342, and Carbomer 940 to be used in hand sanitizing gels
Author Credits: Rajrani Baghel
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