Is Hydroxypropyl Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride natural? NOI 0.80

Q: Is Hydroxypropyl Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride natural?

Hydroxypropyl Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride has a Natural Origin Index (NOI) of 0.80 (scale 0–1) per ISO 16128. The guar gum backbone is a natural plant polysaccharide and the chloride is a mineral counter-ion. The hydroxypropyl ethers from propylene oxide and the trimethylammonium part o… An NOI of 0.80 means 80% of its molecular mass is traceable to a natural, renewable source.

How we scored it

Per sugar unit: guar backbone 162 Da natural, plus hydroxypropyl groups at MS 0.4 (0.4 x 58.08 = 23 Da, petrochemical), plus a hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride group at DS 0.15 (0.15 x 151.63 = 23 Da, of which the chloride share 0.15 x 35.45 = 5.32 Da is natural). Natural 162 + 5.32 = 167.32 Da of 208 Da, so 167.32/208 = 0.80.

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

Guar bean gum is reacted with propylene oxide and with glycidyltrimethylammonium chloride. Substitution levels are not published, so typical values of MS 0.4 hydroxypropyl and DS 0.15 cationic were assumed.

In plain English

A conditioning ingredient made from guar bean gum that has been chemically modified to reduce static and soften hair or skin. The guar base is natural; the added modifications use synthetic chemical groups.

CosIng definition: Guar gum, 2-hydroxypropyl 2-hydroxy-3-(trimethylammonio)propyl ether, chloride

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References

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.
2HYDROXYPROPYL GUAR HYDROXYPROPYLTRIMONIUM CHLORIDE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
3HYDROXYPROPYL GUAR HYDROXYPROPYLTRIMONIUM CHLORIDE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=HYDROXYPROPYL%20GUAR%20HYDROXYPROPYLTRIMONIUM%20CHLORIDE