Sodium Polyglutamic Acid

TL;DR. This ingredient is primarily a humectant and film-forming conditioning agent. It helps bind water at the skin or hair surface, improving hydration feel, slip, and softness.

What does Sodium Polyglutamic Acid do in a cosmetic formula?

This ingredient is primarily a humectant and film-forming conditioning agent. It helps bind water at the skin or hair surface, improving hydration feel, slip, and softness.

Is Sodium Polyglutamic Acid clean?

From a clean-beauty perspective, it is generally well tolerated, not a common fragrance allergen, and not a typical restricted-list ingredient. Sensitivity is uncommon, though any water-based formula still needs an appropriate preservation system.

Is Sodium Polyglutamic Acid sustainable?

This material is commonly made by microbial fermentation using sugar or starch feedstocks, often from plant-derived sources. It is water soluble and biodegradable, with lower persistence concerns than many synthetic film-forming polymers.

Is Sodium Polyglutamic Acid COSMOS-approved?

It can fit COSMOS-natural alignment when made by accepted fermentation and neutralization routes with compliant processing aids. Its profile is consistent with Green Chemistry priorities because it can use renewable feedstocks, aqueous processing, and biodegradable polymer chemistry.

How does Sodium Polyglutamic Acid work chemically?

The molecule is a water-soluble, anionic biopolymer made of repeating amino-acid units linked through side-chain amide bonds and supplied as a salt. It is typically used at low levels, often around 0.01% to 0.5%, and performs best in water-based systems where electrolytes, pH, and molecular weight influence viscosity, film feel, and hydration performance.

Last updated 2026-05-16