Sodium polyitaconate
- 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
