Ethyltrimonium Chloride Methacrylate/Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein Copolymer ●
TL;DR. It is a cationic conditioning film-former used mainly in hair care to improve combing, reduce static, and add a smoother feel. The positive charge helps it deposit on negatively charged hair fibers, especially in rinse-off systems.
What does Ethyltrimonium Chloride Methacrylate/Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein Copolymer do in a cosmetic formula?
It is a cationic conditioning film-former used mainly in hair care to improve combing, reduce static, and add a smoother feel. The positive charge helps it deposit on negatively charged hair fibers, especially in rinse-off systems.
Is Ethyltrimonium Chloride Methacrylate/Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein Copolymer clean?
From a clean-standards lens, this ingredient has friction because it is a synthetic quaternized polymer, even though it is used at low levels for surface conditioning. It may also be relevant for people who track grain-derived it sensitivities.
Is Ethyltrimonium Chloride Methacrylate/Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein Copolymer sustainable?
It combines plant it fragments with a synthetic charged polymer backbone, so its profile is mixed rather than fully bio-based. Large cationic polymers are not typically regarded as readily biodegradable, and their aquatic fate is less favorable than simple plant oils, sugars, or fatty alcohols.
Is Ethyltrimonium Chloride Methacrylate/Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein Copolymer COSMOS-approved?
It is generally not aligned with COSMOS-natural or COSMOS-organic because the synthetic quaternized polymer portion falls outside the standard’s preferred chemistry. From a Green Chemistry view, the plant-derived fraction helps, but persistence and non-renewable monomer inputs weaken the fit.
How does Ethyltrimonium Chloride Methacrylate/Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein Copolymer work chemically?
The molecule is a high-molecular-weight cationic copolymer containing peptide segments, designed to bind keratin through electrostatic attraction and leave a flexible conditioning film. It is typically used at low active levels in shampoos, conditioners, and styling products, performs across common cosmetic pH ranges, and can be incompatible with strongly anionic systems at higher charge density.
Last updated 2026-05-13