Database/Antistatic/Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein natural?

Mostly. The hydrolysed vegetable protein backbone is natural and the chloride is a mineral counter-ion, so both count as natural origin. Only the cationic hydroxypropyltrimethylammonium group, made from epichlorohydrin and trimethylamine, is petrochemical.

INCI nameHydroxypropyltrimonium Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
FunctionAntistatic · Hair Conditioning
FeedstockHydrolysed soy or wheat protein is reacted with…

How we scored it

Assuming a 1000 Da vegetable protein fragment with one hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride group (151.63 Da in total): natural origin is the protein (1000 Da) plus the chloride counter-ion (35.45 Da) = 1035.45 Da, and petrochemical is the hydroxypropyltrimethylammonium cation (116.18 Da). Total 1151.63 Da, so 1035.45/1151.63 = 0.90.
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 soy or wheat protein is reacted with glycidyltrimethylammonium chloride to attach a permanent positive charge. The protein backbone dominates the mass; the degree of substitution is not published, so one group per 1000 Da of protein was assumed.

In plain English

A plant protein broken into smaller pieces and given a mild positive charge so it conditions hair and skin and reduces static. Mostly plant-derived, with a small synthetic modifying group.

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

Natural alternatives with the same function

Acronychia Acidula Fruit Extract 100% natural origin

An extract of lemon aspen, an Australian native fruit, used to condition skin and hair and help hold…

 Alanine 100% natural origin

An amino acid used for skin and hair conditioning, part of skin's natural moisturising factor. Made by fermenting…

 Arginine 100% natural origin

An amino acid found in skin and hair proteins, used for conditioning and moisture-binding. Made by fermenting plant…

 Asparagine 100% natural origin

An amino acid made by fermenting plant sugars, similar to other food-fermentation processes. Helps condition hair and skin…

 Aspartic Acid 100% natural origin

An amino acid used for skin conditioning and moisture retention. Usually produced by fermentation or by an enzyme…

 Capryloyl Hydrolyzed Collagen 100% natural origin

Collagen broken into small protein fragments and attached to caprylic acid, an eight-carbon fatty acid from coconut or…

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