Excellent Humectant

Polyglutamic Acid

INCI: POLYGLUTAMIC ACID

CAS Number
28829-38-1
Function
Humectant, skin-conditioning agent. Polyglutamic acid derived from Bacillus subtilis fermentation. Claims approximately 5× greater moisture retention than hyaluronic acid.
Safety Rating
EXCELLENT

Regulatory Status

🇪🇺 EU Status permitted
🇺🇸 US Status permitted
US Notes No FDA concentration limits. Permitted cosmetic humectant. Claims of approximately 5× greater moisture retention than HA present in ingredient marketing; clinical substantiation is emerging but less robust than HA evidence base as of 2026.

For full compliance data across 55 jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.

Safety Data

Margin of Safety (MoS)
not established
Dermal Absorption
negligible
Sensitization
none

Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.

Expert Verdict

Polyglutamic acid is a fermentation-derived polyamino acid humectant with emerging clinical evidence supporting enhanced moisture retention compared to hyaluronic acid, though the evidence base remains less established. Fermentation-derived from Bacillus subtilis with good tolerability and no documented sensitization in cosmetic use. No regulatory restrictions in EU or US.

⚠️
Concern Level: None

Regulatory Flags

humectant emerging-ingredient fermentation-derived hyaluronidase-inhibitor menopausal-skin-target moisture-retention less-evidence-than-ha

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Polyglutamic Acid safe in cosmetics?

Polyglutamic acid is a fermentation-derived polyamino acid humectant with emerging clinical evidence supporting enhanced moisture retention compared to hyaluronic acid, though the evidence base remains less established. Fermentation-derived from Bacillus subtilis with good tolerability and no documented sensitization in cosmetic use. No regulatory restrictions in EU or US. The EU classifies Polyglutamic Acid as "permitted". Safety rating: EXCELLENT.

Is Polyglutamic Acid allowed in the EU?

Polyglutamic Acid EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.

What does Polyglutamic Acid do in cosmetics?

Polyglutamic Acid functions as: Humectant, skin-conditioning agent. Polyglutamic acid derived from Bacillus subtilis fermentation. Claims approximately 5× greater moisture retention than hyaluronic acid.. It is classified as a Humectant in our database. CAS number: 28829-38-1.

What is the Margin of Safety for Polyglutamic Acid?

not established The Margin of Safety (MoS) is calculated using SCCS methodology. A MoS above 100 is generally considered safe. Use the MoS Calculator tool to calculate MoS for your specific formulation and product category.

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