Database/Antioxidant/Chitosan Glycolate
Route-dependent · ISO 16128

Is Chitosan Glycolate natural?

It depends. Salt of the natural biopolymer chitosan with glycolic acid. The chitosan is always natural; glycolic acid is sold from both fermentation and petrochemical routes, so the salt is route-dependent, as for Ammonium Glycolate.

INCI nameChitosan Glycolate
FunctionAntioxidant · Film Forming
FeedstockChitosan from crustacean shells dissolved in glycolic acid.

Why the score varies

This ingredient is made commercially by more than one route, and ISO 16128 scores the feedstock actually used. Without a supplier certificate of origin the value cannot be claimed.

RouteFeedstockNOIShareNotes
fermentation glycolic acidchitosan (crustacean chitin) neutralised with bio-based glycolic acid1.00Both fragments natural.
synthetic glycolic acidchitosan neutralised with chloroacetic-acid or formaldehyde-carbonylation glycolic acid0.68Chitosan unit 161.2/237.2 = 0.68.
Ask your supplier. A batch-specific certificate of origin or bio-based carbon test (ASTM D6866) settles which route applies.

How we scored it

Per repeat unit: chitosan glucosamine C6H11NO4 161.2 Da (chitin-derived, natural) + glycolic acid C2H4O3 76.1 Da as its salt. Glycolic acid is natural from sugar fermentation (NOI 1.00) and petrochemical from chloroacetic acid or formaldehyde carbonylation (161.2/237.2 = 0.68). Headline shows the natural route.
What counts. ISO 16128-2 scores the atoms that remain in the final ingredient. Reagents, solvents, catalysts and protecting groups used during manufacture leave no mass behind and are not counted.

Where it comes from

Chitosan from crustacean shells dissolved in glycolic acid.

In plain English

A film-forming, antioxidant conditioning agent made from chitosan, derived from crustacean shells or fungi, combined with glycolic acid. Used in skin and hair products.

CosIng definition: Chitosan hydroxyacetate

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References

  1. 1ISO 16128-1:2016 and ISO 16128-2:2017 — Guidelines on technical definitions and criteria for natural and organic cosmetic ingredients and products. ISO, Geneva.
  2. 2CHITOSAN GLYCOLATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3CHITOSAN GLYCOLATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=CHITOSAN%20GLYCOLATE