Database/Skin Conditioning/3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid natural?

Mostly. The ascorbic acid core is natural; the ethyl ether group is a small petrochemical alkylation fragment.

INCI name3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
CAS86404-04-8
FormulaC8H12O6 · 204.18 Da
FunctionSkin Conditioning
FeedstockMade by etherifying ascorbic acid, from fermented glucose,…

How we scored it

Ascorbic acid C6H8O6 176.1 Da minus 1H = 175.1 Da natural + ethyl C2H5 29.1 Da petrochemical = 204.2 Da → 175/204 = 0.86.
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.

How it’s made

Enolate O-alkylation (SN2). Each curved arrow moves one electron pair, and the film ends on the score above.

Where it comes from

Made by etherifying ascorbic acid, from fermented glucose, with an ethyl group typically supplied by petrochemical ethylating agents. The ascorbic acid core supplies most of the molecule's mass.

In plain English

A stable, water- and oil-compatible form of vitamin C used to brighten skin and help protect against oxidative stress. It is made by attaching a small ethyl group to ascorbic acid to improve its stability.

CosIng definition: 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid is the organic compound.

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Structure

2D structure of 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid

(2R)-2-[(1S)-1,2-dihydroxyethyl]-3-ethoxy-4-hydroxy-2H-furan-5-one

PubChem CID 150736 ↗

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. 23-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid. PubChem CID 150736. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 33-O-ETHYL ASCORBIC ACID. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 43-O-ETHYL ASCORBIC ACID. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=3-O-ETHYL%20ASCORBIC%20ACID