Database/Hair Fixing/Polyquaternium-69
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Polyquaternium-69 natural?

Mostly not. The lauryl chain traces to coconut fatty alcohol and the chloride is a mineral counter-ion, so both count as natural origin. The DMAPA-methacrylamide, vinylpyrrolidone and vinylcaprolactam monomers are all petrochemical.

INCI namePolyquaternium-69
CAS748809-45-2
FunctionHair Fixing
FeedstockA quaternary ammonium polymer built from vinylcaprolactam, vinylpyrrolidone…

How we scored it

Assuming equal molar amounts of four monomers, one set weighs 809 Da: the lauryl quaternary methacrylamide 375 Da, DMAPA-methacrylamide 170 Da, vinylpyrrolidone 111 Da and vinylcaprolactam 153 Da. Natural origin is the lauryl chain C12H25 (169.33 Da) plus the chloride counter-ion on that monomer (35.45 Da) = 204.78 Da, so 204.78/809 = 0.25.
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 quaternary ammonium polymer built from vinylcaprolactam, vinylpyrrolidone and DMAPA-methacrylamide together with a methacrylamide monomer carrying a coconut-derived lauryl chain and a chloride counter-ion. The monomer ratio is not published and was assumed roughly equal.

In plain English

A synthetic film-forming polymer used to hold hair in style. Built mostly from lab-made building blocks, with a small coconut-derived fatty component attached.

CosIng definition: Polyquaternium-69 is a polymeric quaternary ammonium salt composed of vinyl caprolactam, vinylpyrrolidone, dimethylaminopropyl methacrylamide (DMAPA), and methacryloylaminopropyl lauryldimonium chloride

Natural alternatives with the same function

Chitosan 100% natural origin

A film-forming, hair-fixing polysaccharide derived from chitin, the natural material in crustacean shells. Treating chitin with a mild…

 Chitosan Lactate 100% natural origin

A film-forming, hair-fixing polymer made from chitosan, from crustacean shells or fungi, combined with lactic acid, a fermentation-derived…

 Decapeptide-11 100% natural origin

A lab-assembled peptide made from natural amino acids, used to condition hair and help fix style. All of…

 Dehydroxanthan Gum 100% natural origin

A thickener made by removing water from fermentation-derived xanthan gum, used to stabilise formulas and hair-styling products.

 Oleuropein 100% natural origin

A powerful antioxidant compound naturally abundant in olive leaves. It's extracted directly from the leaves, not manufactured.

 Rhizobian Gum 100% natural origin

A polysaccharide gum made by fermenting sugars with Rhizobium bacteria. Used to form films, fix hairstyles, and control…

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-69. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3POLYQUATERNIUM-69. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=POLYQUATERNIUM-69