Database/Skin Conditioning/Polyamide-5
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Polyamide-5 natural?

Mostly not. Backbone-forming lactams are petrochemical; minor comonomers contribute some natural stearyl (fatty-acid) mass, but exact monomer ratios are unknown.

INCI namePolyamide-5
FunctionSkin Conditioning
FeedstockPolyamide-5 is a nylon-type copolymer of petrochemical caprolactam…

How we scored it

Caprolactam and laurylactam backbone monomers are petrochemical; stearyl urea caprolactam and ethylene bis-stearamide comonomers carry natural C18 stearyl portions; estimated natural mass fraction ≈0.20 (exact ratios not specified).
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

Polyamide-5 is a nylon-type copolymer of petrochemical caprolactam and laurylactam with minor stearyl urea caprolactam and ethylene bis-stearamide comonomers, the latter contributing natural fatty-acid mass. The overall natural fraction is estimated, not precisely calculable without monomer ratios.

In plain English

A synthetic nylon-type polymer made by reacting several lab-made building blocks (including caprolactam) with some coconut/palm-derived fatty components. Used in skincare to give a smooth, conditioned feel.

CosIng definition: Polyamide-5 is the polymer formed by the reaction of caprolactam, laurylactam, stearyl urea caprolactam and ethylene bis-stearamide

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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. 2POLYAMIDE-5. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3POLYAMIDE-5. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=POLYAMIDE-5