Is Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hydrolyzed Collagen natural? NOI 0.89

Q: Is Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hydrolyzed Collagen natural?

Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hydrolyzed Collagen has a Natural Origin Index (NOI) of 0.89 (scale 0–1) per ISO 16128. Peptide backbone traces to hydrolysed collagen (animal connective tissue); the hydroxypropyltrimethylammonium group traces to propylene oxide and methanol/methylamine feedstocks. An NOI of 0.89 means 89% of its molecular mass is traceable to a natural, renewable source.

How we scored it

Assume ~1000 Da average peptide (natural) plus one quat site: hydroxypropyltrimethylammonium addition (~130 Da, petrochemical) + Cl (35, natural). Natural (1000+35)/1165 = 0.89.

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

Hydrolysed collagen is quaternised with a trimethylammonium hydroxypropyl group derived from propylene-oxide-based glycidyl trimethylammonium chloride. The protein backbone still dominates the molecule's mass, keeping natural-origin content high.

In plain English

A conditioning ingredient made from hydrolyzed collagen protein modified with a small synthetic linker so it binds to hair and skin. Mostly protein-derived, with a lab-made attachment.

CosIng definition: Collagen, hydrolyzed, N-(3-trimethylammonio-2-hydroxypropyl)-, chlorides

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