Arginine/Lysine Polypeptide ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is primarily a cationic conditioning polymer and film-former, used to improve hair feel, reduce static, and support a smoother skin or hair surface.
What does Arginine/Lysine Polypeptide do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is primarily a cationic conditioning polymer and film-former, used to improve hair feel, reduce static, and support a smoother skin or hair surface.
Is Arginine/Lysine Polypeptide clean?
From a clean-beauty perspective, it is generally viewed as low-friction because it is built from amino-acid units and has no common restricted-list flag. Sensitivity risk is usually low, though leave-on tolerance depends on concentration, charge density, and the overall formula.
Is Arginine/Lysine Polypeptide sustainable?
This material is typically associated with amino-acid or biotech-derived feedstocks, but sourcing and manufacturing route can vary by supplier. It is expected to be more biodegradable than persistent silicone or acrylate films, although documentation should come from the raw-material supplier.
Is Arginine/Lysine Polypeptide COSMOS-approved?
It may align with COSMOS-natural when made from permitted feedstocks and compliant processing, but it is supplier-documentation dependent rather than automatically permitted in every form. Its Green Chemistry fit is moderate to good, since it uses amino-acid building blocks and can be biodegradable, with the main caveat being synthesis route transparency.
How does Arginine/Lysine Polypeptide work chemically?
The molecule is a positively charged it made from basic amino-acid residues, which helps it bind to negatively charged hair and skin surfaces. It is typically used at low conditioning-polymer levels, is water-dispersible or water-soluble depending on molecular weight, and is commonly paired with humectants, surfactants, or protein-derived conditioners.
Last updated 2026-05-13