Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate is a cationically modified hyaluronate cosmetic ingredient developed by introducing hydroxypropyltrimethylammonium groups into the hyaluronic-acid polymer. Its INCI name is HYDROXYPROPYLTRIMONIUM HYALURONATE. Cosmetic ingredient references identify it primarily as a film-forming ingredient, while commercial technical specifications also describe humectant and conditioning functionality.
The chemical modification gives the hyaluronate polymer a positive charge. This is important because skin and hair surfaces can have negatively charged sites, allowing cationic hyaluronate to exhibit greater substantivity than unmodified hyaluronate. This property makes it particularly relevant to hair-conditioning and rinse-off formulations.
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate is generally supplied as a white to off-white powder, granule or, depending on the grade, an aqueous solution. Commercial materials can have substantially different molecular-weight and cationization characteristics, so the exact grade should always be identified in the product specification.
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate is also known as cationic hyaluronate or cationic Sodium Hyaluronate. Commercial databases report CAS Number 1714127-68-0 for a commonly supplied material. The chemical identity is a polymeric quaternary ammonium derivative of hyaluronate rather than a conventional small molecule.
A representative polymer formula is:
(C₁₄H₂₀₋ₓNO₁₁Na(C₆H₁₅NOCl)ₓ)ₙ
where x represents the degree of cationization. Because both polymer chain length and degree of cationization can vary, there is no single universal molecular weight for every Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate grade.
Commercial specifications demonstrate this variation. One documented material specifies a molecular weight of approximately 20 kDa, while other commercial grades are described with higher molecular-weight values. Therefore, molecular weight and cationization degree should be treated as important grade-specific specifications.
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate is primarily a film-forming and conditioning cosmetic ingredient. The cationic modification gives the polymer positive charge and can improve its affinity for negatively charged skin and hair surfaces.
This substantivity is particularly useful in hair-care formulations. The material can remain associated with the hair surface after rinsing and can contribute to conditioning, smoothness and manageability. It is therefore relevant to shampoos, conditioners, hair masks and other hair-treatment formulations.
In skin-care products, the polymer can contribute to moisture management and film formation. Commercial technical literature describes enhanced adhesion and moisture retention compared with unmodified Sodium Hyaluronate.
The actual performance depends on molecular weight, degree of cationization, concentration, formulation pH, surfactant system and interactions with other charged ingredients.
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate can be used in a broad range of cosmetic and personal-care formulations, particularly skin-care and hair-care products.
Potential applications include shampoos, conditioners, hair masks, hair treatments, facial cleansers, lotions, creams, toners, serums and other formulations where film formation, conditioning and moisture management are desired.
For hair-care applications, the cationic nature of the ingredient can provide greater affinity for the hair surface than non-cationically modified hyaluronate. This makes it suitable for formulations where conditioning after rinsing is an important product characteristic.
Commercial documentation also describes applications in skin-care products such as toner, lotion and face cream, as well as cleansing products such as facial cleansers and body washes.
Degree of cationization and molecular weight are two of the most important technical parameters for Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate. A commercial specification can, for example, define a cationization degree of 0.15–0.60, while another commercial grade specifies a cationization degree of at least 15%. These values are not interchangeable because suppliers can use different calculation and reporting conventions.
A commercial technical specification reports glucuronic acid dry-basis content of 37.0–46.0%, pH 5.0–7.5, loss on drying NMT 10.0%, residue on ignition <15%, protein NMT 0.1%, heavy metals <20 mg/kg as Pb, total colony count ≤100 CFU/g, and yeast and mold <50 CFU/g. These are product-specific commercial specifications rather than universal cosmetic limits.
The Assay (HPLC) field should not be assigned an arbitrary percentage. Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate is a polymeric derivative, and quality assessment can involve molecular weight, degree of cationization, glucuronic acid content, moisture, ash, pH, protein, viscosity and microbiological parameters.
Because it is cationic, compatibility with anionic surfactants, polymers and other charged formulation components should also be evaluated during formulation development.
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate is a specialty cosmetic ingredient for manufacturers developing advanced skin-care and hair-care products requiring film formation, conditioning and moisture-management functionality.
Its cationic structure distinguishes it from conventional Hyaluronic Acid and Sodium Hyaluronate. For B2B cosmetic raw-material sourcing, the product specification should clearly identify molecular weight, degree of cationization, glucuronic acid content, moisture, pH, protein, ash and microbiological parameters where applicable.
As a Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate Cosmetic Ingredient Manufacturer in India, the focus is on controlled polymer characteristics, consistent quality and suitability for bulk cosmetic and personal-care formulation requirements.
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Appearance | White or colourless crystals / white powder |
| Loss on Drying | NMT 10.0% |
| Residue on Ignition | <15% |
| pH (1% Solution) | 5.0–7.5 |