Database/Antistatic/Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hydrolyzed Wheat Starch
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hydrolyzed Wheat Starch natural?

Mostly. Wheat starch glucose units are plant-derived and the chloride is a mineral counter-ion, but the 2-hydroxy-3-(trimethylammonio)propyl group comes from petrochemical epichlorohydrin and trimethylamine.

INCI nameHydroxypropyltrimonium Hydrolyzed Wheat Starch
FunctionAntistatic · Hair Conditioning
FeedstockDominant route: wheat starch is hydrolysed and etherified…

How we scored it

Assumed DS 0.2 per anhydroglucose, as for Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hydrolyzed Corn Starch: C6H10O5 162.1 + chloride 0.2 x 35.5 = 7.1 mineral = 169.2 natural; 0.2 x C6H15NO 117.2 = 23.4 petrochemical; unit 192.6; 169.2 / 192.6 = 0.88.
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

Dominant route: wheat starch is hydrolysed and etherified with 3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyltrimethylammonium chloride (from epichlorohydrin and trimethylamine) under alkaline conditions. Alternative: glycerin-derived epichlorohydrin exists but is not credited, since treats hydroxypropyl groups as petrochemical; the degree of substitution varies by grade.

In plain English

A positively charged conditioning agent for hair, made by attaching a quaternary ammonium group to partly broken-down wheat starch. It reduces static and helps hair feel smooth. The starch part is plant-derived; the ammonium group is petrochemical.

CosIng definition: Starch, wheat (Triticum vulgare), hydrolyzed, (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 WHEAT STARCH. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3HYDROXYPROPYLTRIMONIUM HYDROLYZED WHEAT STARCH. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=HYDROXYPROPYLTRIMONIUM%20HYDROLYZED%20WHEAT%20STARCH