How we scored it
Where it comes from
Polyquaternium-24 starts from cellulose (wood pulp or cotton), which is reacted with ethylene oxide and a dodecyl (lauryl) quaternary ammonium glycidyl reagent. The cellulose and lauryl portions are natural; the ethoxylation and quaternising linker are petrochemical.
In plain English
A conditioning polymer built from plant-derived cellulose that has been chemically modified with a lauryl (coconut/palm-derived) quaternary ammonium group and ethylene oxide, used to reduce static and condition hair.
CosIng definition: Cellulose ether with .alpha.-(3-(dodecyldimethylammonio)-2-hydroxypropyl)-.omega.-hydroxypoly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl) chloride
Natural alternatives with the same function
An extract of lemon aspen, an Australian native fruit, used to condition skin and hair and help hold…
Alanine 100% natural originAn amino acid used for skin and hair conditioning, part of skin's natural moisturising factor. Made by fermenting…
Arginine 100% natural originAn amino acid found in skin and hair proteins, used for conditioning and moisture-binding. Made by fermenting plant…
Asparagine 100% natural originAn amino acid made by fermenting plant sugars, similar to other food-fermentation processes. Helps condition hair and skin…
Aspartic Acid 100% natural originAn amino acid used for skin conditioning and moisture retention. Usually produced by fermentation or by an enzyme…
Capryloyl Hydrolyzed Collagen 100% natural originCollagen broken into small protein fragments and attached to caprylic acid, an eight-carbon fatty acid from coconut or…
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.
- 2POLYQUATERNIUM-24. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
- 3POLYQUATERNIUM-24. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=POLYQUATERNIUM-24