How we scored it
Animal/microbial glycosaminoglycan disaccharide repeat unit; sulfate, sodium and N-acetyl are native biosynthetic features, not added petrochemical reagents, so 463.37/463.37 = 1.0.
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
Extracted and hydrolysed from animal cartilage, such as bovine, shark or poultry, or increasingly produced by bioengineered bacterial fermentation. Both routes are biological, with sulfation part of the native biosynthesis.
In plain English
A skin- and hair-conditioning ingredient derived from natural cartilage sugars or made by fermentation. It helps skin and hair hold moisture and feel smoother.
References
- 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.
- 2SODIUM CHONDROITIN SULFATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
- 3SODIUM CHONDROITIN SULFATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=SODIUM%20CHONDROITIN%20SULFATE