Polyepsilon-lysine ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is used mainly as a preservative or preservative booster, helping control bacteria, yeast, and mold in water-containing formulas. It can also add light conditioning because it carries a positive charge.
What does Polyepsilon-lysine do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is used mainly as a preservative or preservative booster, helping control bacteria, yeast, and mold in water-containing formulas. It can also add light conditioning because it carries a positive charge.
Is Polyepsilon-lysine clean?
From a clean-beauty perspective, it is generally well accepted when fermentation-derived and properly purified. Irritation potential is low at typical use levels, though its cationic antimicrobial activity can make formula context and concentration important.
Is Polyepsilon-lysine sustainable?
This material is typically made by microbial fermentation from renewable carbohydrate feedstocks. It is peptide-like and expected to be biodegradable, with low persistence concerns compared with many synthetic film-formers or silicones.
Is Polyepsilon-lysine COSMOS-approved?
It can be permitted under COSMOS-natural and COSMOS-organic when the raw material, fermentation inputs, and processing aids meet the standard’s documentation requirements. Its profile fits Green Chemistry well because it is fermentation-derived, water-compatible, and biodegradable.
How does Polyepsilon-lysine work chemically?
The molecule is a cationic homopolymer of an essential basic amino acid, usually around 3 to 5 kDa with roughly 25 to 35 repeat units connected through side-chain amide bonds. It is commonly used at low preservative-system levels, is stable across mildly acidic to neutral pH, and can lose performance when paired with strongly anionic polymers or surfactants.
Last updated 2026-05-14