Database/Antistatic/Quaternium-27
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Quaternium-27 natural?

Mostly. Two tallow fatty chains and the sulfate ion are natural; the diethylenetriamine-derived imidazoline ring and N-/O-methyl groups are petrochemical.

INCI nameQuaternium-27
CAS68122-86-1
FunctionAntistatic · Hair Conditioning
FeedstockMade from two equivalents of tallow (beef/mutton fat)…

How we scored it

2 tallow-derived fragments (ring-carbon+alkyl ~251 + amide acyl ~267 = 518, natural) + SO4 of methosulfate (96, natural) = 614; diethylenetriamine-derived ring/arm/N-methyl backbone (~114) + O-methyl (~15) petrochemical = 129; 614/744 = 0.83 (approx, no MW given)
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

Made from two equivalents of tallow (beef/mutton fat) fatty acid cyclized and amidated onto a synthetic diethylenetriamine backbone, then quaternized with dimethyl sulfate. Tallow is the dominant natural feedstock by mass.

In plain English

A conditioning compound made by combining tallow (animal fat) fatty acids with a ring-shaped nitrogen compound, then treated with a methylating agent. Used in hair care to reduce static and add softness.

CosIng definition: Imidazolium compounds, 4,5-dihydro-1-methyl-2-nortallow alkyl-1-(2-tallow amidoethyl), Me sulfates

Natural alternatives with the same function

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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. 2QUATERNIUM-27. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3QUATERNIUM-27. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=QUATERNIUM-27