Database/Antistatic/Starch Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Starch Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride natural?

Mostly. Natural starch backbone is cationically modified with a petrochemical quaternary ammonium ether at an assumed typical substitution level.

INCI nameStarch Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
CAS56780-58-6
FunctionAntistatic · Emulsion Stabilising
FeedstockCorn or potato starch is etherified with glycidyltrimethylammonium…

How we scored it

Anhydroglucose repeat unit 162 Da (natural) + quat substituent (151.6 Da) x assumed DS 0.3 = 45.5 Da petrochemical; 162/207.5 = 0.78.
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

Corn or potato starch is etherified with glycidyltrimethylammonium chloride (from epichlorohydrin and trimethylamine). Degree of substitution assumed ~0.3; commercial grades vary.

In plain English

A conditioning and thickening ingredient made from plant starch reacted with a lab-made cationic compound, used in hair and skin products. The starch backbone is plant-derived; the added cationic group is synthetic.

CosIng definition: Starch, 2-hydroxy-3-(trimethylammonio)propyl ether, chloride

Natural alternatives with the same function

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