Database/Viscosity Controlling/Polyvinylacetamide
100% petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Polyvinylacetamide natural?

No. N-vinylacetamide is made from petrochemical acetamide and acetaldehyde, so the whole vinyl polymer chain is petrochemical.

INCI namePolyvinylacetamide
FunctionViscosity Controlling
FeedstockN-vinylacetamide is made from acetamide and acetaldehyde and…

How we scored it

Repeat unit C4H7NO 85.1 (N-vinylacetamide) from acetamide and acetaldehyde, both petrochemical. 0 / 85.1 = 0.00.
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

N-vinylacetamide is made from acetamide and acetaldehyde and polymerised by free radicals to a water-soluble polymer. No natural route is commercial.

In plain English

A synthetic water-soluble polymer used to thicken and stabilise formulations. It is built from repeating acetamide-type units and adds body and a smooth texture to gels and creams.

Natural alternatives with the same function

Agar 100% natural origin

A gelling and thickening gum extracted from red seaweed. It is used to give products body and texture,…

 Agarose 100% natural origin

A gelling and thickening ingredient extracted from red seaweed, used to give lotions and gels body.

 Algin 100% natural origin

Sodium alginate, a thickening and binding gum extracted from brown seaweed. It's harvested from algae and processed to…

 Alginic Acid 100% natural origin

A gelling and thickening gum extracted from brown seaweed, the acid form of alginate. It's harvested and purified…

 Aluminum Behenate 100% natural origin

The aluminium salt of behenic acid, a fatty acid from rapeseed or similar seed oils. Used in small…

 Aluminum Distearate 100% natural origin

An aluminium salt of stearic acid, a fatty acid from vegetable oil or animal fat. Used in powders…

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