Database/Humectant/1,2,6-Hexanetriol
100% petroleum · ISO 16128

Is 1,2,6-Hexanetriol natural?

No. The carbon chain is built from acrolein dimer, made by oxidising petrochemical propylene, then hydrogenated, so no natural-origin fragment remains.

INCI name1,2,6-Hexanetriol
CAS106-69-4
FormulaC6H14O3 · 134.17 Da
FunctionHumectant · Solvent
FeedstockDominant route dimerises propylene-derived acrolein, hydrates it to…

How we scored it

C6H14O3 (134.17 Da) made from propylene-derived acrolein via hydroxyadipaldehyde and hydrogenation; natural mass 0, so 0.0.
What counts. ISO 16128-2 scores the atoms that remain in the final ingredient. Reagents, solvents, catalysts and protecting groups used during manufacture leave no mass behind and are not counted.

Where it comes from

Dominant route dimerises propylene-derived acrolein, hydrates it to hydroxyadipaldehyde and hydrogenates it. A biomass route from cellulose-derived HMF exists in research but is not commercial.

In plain English

A thick, water-attracting liquid used as a humectant and solvent that keeps creams and lotions from drying out and helps adjust their thickness. It is made synthetically from petrochemical raw materials.

Natural alternatives with the same function

Structure

2D structure of 1,2,6-Hexanetriol

hexane-1,2,6-triol

PubChem CID 7823 ↗

References

  1. 1ISO 16128-1:2016 and ISO 16128-2:2017 — Guidelines on technical definitions and criteria for natural and organic cosmetic ingredients and products. ISO, Geneva.
  2. 21,2,6-Hexanetriol. PubChem CID 7823. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 31,2,6-HEXANETRIOL. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 41,2,6-HEXANETRIOL. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=1%2C2%2C6-HEXANETRIOL