• Pronunciation: \ˈsō-dē-əm \ ˈpä-lē it-ə-ˈkän-ˌāt \
  • Type: Naturally-derived
  • Other names: Velasoft

What Is Sodium Polyitaconate?

Sodium polyitaconate, also called Velasoft, is a polyitaconic acid partially neutralized with sodium salt. It is usually an off-white grainy substance.[1]

What Does Sodium Polyitaconate Do?

Sodium polyitaconate helps stabilize  surfactants, allowing for gentler formulations.[2,3] It can also be used in shampoos, conditioners, body wash, hand soaps, and other ingredients.[4] It dissolves in water.[5]

Is Sodium Polyitaconate Safe?

Sodium polyitaconate is a biodegradable ingredient that does not irritate the eyes or skin.[7,8] Whole Foods has deemed the ingredient acceptable in its body care product quality standards.[9]

How Sodium Polyitaconate Is Made

Commercially, manufacturing sodium polyitaconate begins with creating itaconic acid, which is produced by fermenting carbohydrates such as corn.[6]

Sources

[1] Itaconix
[2] Itaconix
[3] Environmental Working Group
[4]Itaconix
[5]Itaconix
[6] Biotechnology Innovation Organization
[7] Itaconix
[8] Itaconix
[9] Whole Foods Market

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