Database/Antistatic/Silicone Quaternium-8
100% petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Silicone Quaternium-8 natural?

No. Silicone (siloxane) backbone is scored 0 by this site's convention even though the acyl side chain derives from a natural fatty-acid dimer.

INCI nameSilicone Quaternium-8
FunctionAntistatic · Hair Conditioning
FeedstockMade by ethoxylating a hydroxypropyl-modified dimethicone, then quaternising…

How we scored it

Siloxane backbone = site-convention 0.00 regardless of ethoxylation or the natural dimer-fatty-acid (linoleic dimer) side group; polymer scored as a whole, not fragment-averaged.
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 by ethoxylating a hydroxypropyl-modified dimethicone, then quaternising and capping with a fatty dimer acid from dimerised linoleic acid. The silicone backbone is synthetic; this site's convention scores all silicones 0.0 regardless of fatty-acid content.

In plain English

A silicone-based conditioning ingredient that coats hair to reduce static and add smoothness. Its backbone is synthetic silicone, even though one side-chain comes from a natural fatty acid.

CosIng definition: Silicones and siloxanes, dimethyl, 3-hydroxypropylmethyl, ethoxylated, ester with N-(carboxymethyl)-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-8. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3SILICONE QUATERNIUM-8. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=SILICONE%20QUATERNIUM-8