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

Is 1,2-Butanediol natural?

No. 1-Butene from refinery or steam-cracker C4 streams is epoxidised and hydrolysed, so all carbon is petrochemical.

INCI name1,2-Butanediol
CAS584-03-2
FormulaC4H10O2 · 90.12 Da
FunctionHumectant · Skin Conditioning
FeedstockDominant route hydrolyses 1,2-epoxybutane made from petrochemical 1-butene.…

How we scored it

C4H10O2 90.1: from 1-butene oxide, all carbon petrochemical; 0/90.1 = 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 hydrolyses 1,2-epoxybutane made from petrochemical 1-butene. A bio-based 1,2-butanediol is not commercially significant.

In plain English

A small, colourless diol that holds moisture, dissolves other ingredients and adjusts texture in lotions and toners. It is made from petrochemical butene.

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Structure

2D structure of 1,2-Butanediol

butane-1,2-diol

PubChem CID 11429 ↗

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-Butanediol. PubChem CID 11429. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 31,2-BUTANEDIOL. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 41,2-BUTANEDIOL. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=1%2C2-BUTANEDIOL