Database/Antistatic/Polyquaternium-11
100% petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Polyquaternium-11 natural?

No. Vinylpyrrolidone, the methacrylate ester, and the diethyl sulfate quaternising agent are all synthetic petrochemical building blocks.

INCI namePolyquaternium-11
CAS53633-54-8
FunctionAntistatic · Film Forming
FeedstockA synthetic copolymer built from petrochemical N-vinylpyrrolidone and…

How we scored it

Copolymer of vinylpyrrolidone and dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate, quaternised with diethyl sulfate; all monomers petrochemical. 0.0.
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

A synthetic copolymer built from petrochemical N-vinylpyrrolidone and dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate monomers, then quaternised with diethyl sulfate. No natural feedstock is used at any stage.

In plain English

A film-forming, anti-static polymer used in hairsprays, gels and conditioners to help hair hold style and resist static. Built entirely from synthetic petrochemical monomers (a methacrylate and a vinylpyrrolidone), quaternised with a petrochemical alkylating agent. Fully petroleum-derived.

CosIng definition: 2-Propenoic acid, 2-methyl-, 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl ester, polymer with 1-ethenyl-2-pyrrolidinone, compd. with diethyl sulphate

Natural alternatives with the same function

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. 2POLYQUATERNIUM-11. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3POLYQUATERNIUM-11. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=POLYQUATERNIUM-11