HYDROLYZEDKERATIN ●
TL;DR. It is primarily a hair-conditioning and film-forming ingredient, helping small protein fragments deposit on damaged areas for smoother feel, reduced frizz, and improved combing.
What does HYDROLYZEDKERATIN do in a cosmetic formula?
It is primarily a hair-conditioning and film-forming ingredient, helping small protein fragments deposit on damaged areas for smoother feel, reduced frizz, and improved combing.
Is HYDROLYZEDKERATIN clean?
From a clean-beauty perspective, it is generally well tolerated and is not a common restricted-list issue, though some shoppers may flag its animal origin and rare sensitivity to protein hydrolysates. It is not vegan, so supplier transparency matters.
Is HYDROLYZEDKERATIN sustainable?
It is typically made by enzymatic or acid hydrolysis of wool, feathers, or other animal byproducts, which can upcycle waste streams but still depends on livestock supply chains. The resulting small peptides are expected to be biodegradable and not environmentally persistent.
Is HYDROLYZEDKERATIN COSMOS-approved?
It can be permitted under COSMOS-natural or COSMOS-organic when sourced from allowed animal byproducts and processed with permitted hydrolysis methods, but acceptance is documentation dependent. Its Green Chemistry fit is moderate to good because it can use renewable byproduct feedstocks and biodegradable peptides, while animal sourcing and neutralization steps add caveats.
How does HYDROLYZEDKERATIN work chemically?
Chemically, it is a mixture of low molecular weight peptides and amino acids produced by controlled cleavage of a structural animal protein, with performance depending heavily on molecular-weight distribution. Typical use levels are about 0.1 to 5%, it is water soluble, and it is usually formulated in mildly acidic to neutral systems where it can pair with cationic conditioners but may haze or precipitate with strongly anionic systems.
Last updated 2026-08-29