It's a good thing that there are polymers here. Especially if you have a baby at home. This box of diapers is full of polymers. The diapers themselves are made of polyethylene. They have elastic to keep them from leaking, and that elastic is made from natural rubber. But most importantly they're packed with poly(acrylic acid). Poly(acrylic acid) is a member of the acrylate family of polymers that absorb lots of moisture. It can absorb many times its own weight in water, as well as that blue stuff they use in diaper commercials. This keeps other things away from your baby so he or she won't get a nasty rash.

Toothbrush bristles were the first things ever made from nylon. Toothbrush handles are made of polyester or polypropylene.

Toothbrush handles that are stiff but have a rubbery grip to them are actually molded out of two materials. The rubbery grippy part is a coating of thermoplastic elastomers. And what about toothpaste? Lots of brands have some kind of natural or synthetic polymer in them. It's what gives them gel-like properties.

Clean hair is a good thing, and clean hair comes from shampoos, which have thickeners like hydroxyethyl cellulose. Many conditioners are made with silicones. Silicones don't leave a build-up the way some conditioners do.

Speaking of hair, hair spray is just chock full of polymers like polyvinylpyrrolidone.

Ever have one of those days when you just don't feel like getting out of bed? Now you don't have to, thanks to this bedpan, made of polyethylene.

Do your feet hurt? Try some cushioned insoles. They have padding made of polyurethane foam.

If you hurt your ankle or your knee you might need one of these flexible elastic bandages. This one contains natural rubber, polyisoprene.

Curtis, our pharmacist, is holding some cuddly stuffed animals that are stuffed with polyurethane foam. Their furry outsides are made from things like polyacrylonitrile fibers or fabric.

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