Database/Antistatic/Polyquaternium-36
100% petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Polyquaternium-36 natural?

No. Both monomers derive from petrochemical methacrylic acid, butanol and synthetic quaternary amine chemistry; no natural-origin fragment.

INCI namePolyquaternium-36
FunctionAntistatic · Film Forming
FeedstockProduced by free-radical copolymerisation of petrochemical methacrylate ester…

How we scored it

Copolymer of quaternized dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate (methosulfate salt) and butyl methacrylate; both petrochemical acrylate-derived monomers → 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

Produced by free-radical copolymerisation of petrochemical methacrylate ester monomers, one quaternized with dimethyl sulfate. No natural or fermentation route exists for this synthetic conditioning polymer.

In plain English

A synthetic, positively-charged polymer built from petrochemical methacrylate building blocks. Used in hair and skin products to reduce static and help form a smooth film.

CosIng definition: 2-Propenoic acid, 2-methyl-, 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl ester, polymer with butyl 2-methyl-propenoate, quaternary ammonium reaction products with dimethyl sulfate

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-36. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3POLYQUATERNIUM-36. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=POLYQUATERNIUM-36