Database/Hair Conditioning/Sodium Polyglutamate
100% natural origin · ISO 16128

Is Sodium Polyglutamate natural?

Yes. A biopolymer made entirely of fermented glutamic-acid units linked together; sodium is a natural counter-ion.

INCI nameSodium Polyglutamate
CAS28829-38-1
FormulaC5H8NNaO4 · 169.11 Da
FunctionHair Conditioning · Humectant
FeedstockProduced by fermenting Bacillus bacteria, the same organisms…

How we scored it

Polymer of fermentation-derived glutamic acid, sodium salt; Na is mineral counter-ion → 100% natural
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

Produced by fermenting Bacillus bacteria, the same organisms used to make natto, on plant sugars, yielding a natural polyglutamic-acid biopolymer.

In plain English

A natural, moisture-binding biopolymer made of linked glutamic-acid units. Produced by fermenting bacteria, the same type used to make the Japanese food natto, on plant sugars.

CosIng definition: Glutamic Acid Homopolymer Sodium Salt

Structure

2D structure of Sodium Polyglutamate

sodium (2S)-2-amino-5-hydroxy-5-oxopentanoate

PubChem CID 23672308 ↗

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. 2Sodium Polyglutamate. PubChem CID 23672308. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3SODIUM POLYGLUTAMATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4SODIUM POLYGLUTAMATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=SODIUM%20POLYGLUTAMATE