Is Keratin Amino Acids natural?

Q: Is Keratin Amino Acids natural?

Keratin Amino Acids has a Natural Origin Index (NOI) of 1.00 (scale 0–1) per ISO 16128. Amino acids from protein hydrolysis are natural-origin building blocks regardless of hydrolysis method used. An NOI of 1.00 means 100% of its molecular mass is traceable to a natural, renewable source.

Yes. Amino acids from protein hydrolysis are natural-origin building blocks regardless of hydrolysis method used.

INCI nameKeratin Amino Acids

FunctionHair Conditioning · Skin Conditioning

FeedstockProduced by hydrolysing keratin protein (from wool, feathers…

How we scored it

Complete hydrolysis of keratin protein into free amino acids; hydrolysis reagents leave no mass → 1.0.

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

Produced by hydrolysing keratin protein (from wool, feathers or hair) into its constituent amino acids. No synthetic amino acids are used.

In plain English

Amino acids released by breaking down keratin protein (from wool, feathers or hair) into its building blocks. Used to condition hair and skin.

CosIng definition: Keratin Amino Acids is the mixture of amino acids resulting from the complete hydrolysis of Keratin.

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