How we scored it
Homopolymer of glutamic acid, a fermentation amino acid; the polymer itself is a direct fermentation product; no petrochemical fragment.
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
Manufactured by fermenting sugars with Bacillus bacteria, which secrete the polymer directly. No petrochemical route is used commercially.
In plain English
A sticky, water-binding polymer made by fermenting sugar with bacteria, related to the sliminess of natto beans. Used in skincare to hold moisture on skin.
CosIng definition: Polymer of glutamic acid
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.
- 2POLYGLUTAMIC ACID. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
- 3POLYGLUTAMIC ACID. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=POLYGLUTAMIC%20ACID