Database/Hair Waving Or Straightening/Cysteamine
100% petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Cysteamine natural?

No. Commercial cysteamine is synthesised from petrochemical ethanolamine or ethyleneimine intermediates, not extracted or fermented from a natural source.

INCI nameCysteamine
CAS60-23-1
FormulaC2H7NS · 77.15 Da
FunctionHair Waving Or Straightening
FeedstockCysteamine is manufactured by reacting hydrogen sulfide with…

How we scored it

2-Aminoethanethiol made from petrochemical ethanolamine/ethyleneimine + H2S routes; no natural-origin commercial route. 0/77.15=0.00.
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

Cysteamine is manufactured by reacting hydrogen sulfide with petrochemical ethanolamine, or via a thiazoline intermediate from ethyleneimine. Although it occurs naturally in metabolism, it is not commercially sourced from natural material.

In plain English

A small sulfur-containing molecule used to relax hair in waving treatments. Manufactured industrially from petrochemical ethanolamine or related synthetic intermediates rather than extracted from a natural source.

CosIng definition: Cysteamine is the organic compound that conforms to the formula.

Natural alternatives with the same function

Angelica Gigas Root Extract 100% natural origin

An extract of Angelica gigas root, an Asian herb, used to condition hair and skin. Made by extracting…

 Caesalpinia Spinosa Fruit Pod Extract 100% natural origin

An extract of the pods of the tara tree (Caesalpinia spinosa), grown mainly in Peru and rich in…

 Cysteine 100% natural origin

An amino acid used to condition hair and skin and as an antioxidant, also used to relax or…

 Cysteine HCl 100% natural origin

The hydrochloride form of cysteine, an amino acid used in hair-waving and straightening products and as an antioxidant.…

 Helianthus Annuus Petal Extract 100% natural origin

A multi-purpose plant extract listed for cleansing, moisturising, hair conditioning and fragrance. It is made from sunflower petals,…

 Lithium Carbonate 100% natural origin

A mineral salt used to adjust pH and in hair-waving products. Mined from lithium-rich brines or rock ore,…

Structure

2D structure of Cysteamine

2-aminoethanethiol

PubChem CID 6058 ↗

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. 2Cysteamine. PubChem CID 6058. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3CYSTEAMINE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4CYSTEAMINE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=CYSTEAMINE