HYDROLYSED KERATIN ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is mainly a conditioning and film-forming agent, especially in hair care. It helps improve combability, surface feel, and the appearance of strength by depositing small protein fragments on hair or nails.
What does HYDROLYSED KERATIN do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is mainly a conditioning and film-forming agent, especially in hair care. It helps improve combability, surface feel, and the appearance of strength by depositing small protein fragments on hair or nails.
Is HYDROLYSED KERATIN clean?
From a clean-beauty perspective, this ingredient is generally well tolerated and not a common restricted-list concern. The main friction points are animal sourcing, non-vegan status, and the need for good impurity control from the hydrolysis process.
Is HYDROLYSED KERATIN sustainable?
This material is usually animal-derived and can come from wool, feathers, or other protein-rich byproducts, so traceability and animal-welfare standards matter. It is expected to be biodegradable, and using byproduct streams can support resource efficiency when sourcing is well managed.
Is HYDROLYSED KERATIN COSMOS-approved?
It can be permitted under COSMOS-natural and COSMOS-organic when the animal-derived feedstock and processing route meet the standard’s sourcing and allowed-chemistry rules. Its Green Chemistry profile is mixed, with renewable, biodegradable origin on one side and sourcing ethics plus hydrolysis-processing inputs on the other.
How does HYDROLYSED KERATIN work chemically?
This is not a single molecule, but a mixture of peptides and amino-acid-rich fragments produced by controlled breakdown of a structural animal protein, with molecular weight varying from a few hundred daltons to several kilodaltons by grade. Typical use is about 0.2% to 5% in hair, nail, and treatment products, and it is water-soluble, most useful in mildly acidic to neutral systems, and commonly paired with cationic conditioners or humectants for better deposition and feel.
Last updated 2026-05-13