Database/Hair Conditioning/Polyquaternium-53
100% petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Polyquaternium-53 natural?

No. Acrylic acid, acrylamide and the methacrylamidopropyltrimonium quaternizing group are all petrochemical acrylate-derived monomers with no natural building block.

INCI namePolyquaternium-53
CAS84647-38-1
FunctionHair Conditioning
FeedstockManufactured by free-radical copolymerization of petrochemical acrylic acid,…

How we scored it

Acrylic acid + acrylamide + methacrylamidopropyltrimonium chloride copolymer; all three monomers petrochemical (acrylate/acrylamide) — no natural fragment present. 0/total = 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

Manufactured by free-radical copolymerization of petrochemical acrylic acid, acrylamide and a methacrylamidopropyltrimonium chloride quaternary monomer, all derived from propylene/acrylonitrile feedstocks. No alternative natural route exists for this synthetic terpolymer.

In plain English

A synthetic polymer used in hair conditioners and styling products to help detangle hair, reduce static, and leave it feeling smooth. It's built from lab-made acrylic and ammonium building blocks rather than plant or animal sources.

CosIng definition: Acrylic acid/acrylamide/methacrylamidopropyltrimonium chloride copolymer

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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. 2POLYQUATERNIUM-53. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3POLYQUATERNIUM-53. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=POLYQUATERNIUM-53