Database/Antistatic/Silicone Quaternium-4
100% petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Silicone Quaternium-4 natural?

No. Silicone Si-O backbone is scored 0 by convention even though it carries a fatty-diacid (linoleic dimer) side group.

INCI nameSilicone Quaternium-4
FunctionAntistatic · Hair Conditioning
FeedstockA phosphate-linked, quaternised silicone bearing a fatty dimer-acid…

How we scored it

Silicone backbone = 0.00 by this site's convention, despite the natural linoleic-acid-dimer acyl substituent.
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 phosphate-linked, quaternised silicone bearing a fatty dimer-acid substituent, used as an antistatic hair conditioner. This site's convention scores all silicones 0 regardless of any fatty substituent.

In plain English

An antistatic conditioning ingredient for hair that reduces static and adds softness. Although part of its structure comes from a natural fatty acid, it is a silicone and counted as non-renewable here.

CosIng definition: Silicones and siloxanes, dimethyl, 3-hydroxypropylmethyl, ethoxylated, dihydrogen phosphates, esters with N-(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-3-amino-N,N-dimethylpropanaminium chloride, N'-acyl derivatives with 9,12-(Z,Z)-octadecadienoic acid dimer

Natural alternatives with the same function

Acronychia Acidula Fruit Extract 100% natural origin

An extract of lemon aspen, an Australian native fruit, used to condition skin and hair and help hold…

 Alanine 100% natural origin

An amino acid used for skin and hair conditioning, part of skin's natural moisturising factor. Made by fermenting…

 Arginine 100% natural origin

An amino acid found in skin and hair proteins, used for conditioning and moisture-binding. Made by fermenting plant…

 Asparagine 100% natural origin

An amino acid made by fermenting plant sugars, similar to other food-fermentation processes. Helps condition hair and skin…

 Aspartic Acid 100% natural origin

An amino acid used for skin conditioning and moisture retention. Usually produced by fermentation or by an enzyme…

 Capryloyl Hydrolyzed Collagen 100% natural origin

Collagen broken into small protein fragments and attached to caprylic acid, an eight-carbon fatty acid from coconut or…

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. 2SILICONE QUATERNIUM-4. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3SILICONE QUATERNIUM-4. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=SILICONE%20QUATERNIUM-4