Database/Skin Protecting/Acetyl Carnosine
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Acetyl Carnosine natural?

Mostly. Natural beta-alanine/histidine dipeptide backbone acetylated with a petrochemical acetyl group from acetic anhydride.

INCI nameAcetyl Carnosine
CAS56353-15-2
FormulaC11H16N4O4 · 268.27 Da
FunctionSkin Protecting
FeedstockCarnosine is a naturally occurring dipeptide of the…

How we scored it

Carnosine (natural dipeptide) 226.24 Da + petrochemical acetyl cap (C2H2O) 42.04 Da = 268.27 Da total; 226.24/268.27 = 0.84
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

Carnosine is a naturally occurring dipeptide of the amino acids beta-alanine and histidine, made by fermentation/protein routes. It is then N-acetylated using acetic anhydride, a petrochemical reagent whose acetyl group remains attached and is the only synthetic mass in the molecule.

In plain English

A modified form of carnosine, a natural molecule made of two amino acids, with a small chemical group added. Used to help protect skin. Mostly amino-acid derived with one small synthetic addition.

Natural alternatives with the same function

Structure

2D structure of Acetyl Carnosine

(2S)-2-(3-acetamidopropanoylamino)-3-(1H-imidazol-5-yl)propanoic acid

PubChem CID 9903482 ↗

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. 2Acetyl Carnosine. PubChem CID 9903482. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3ACETYL CARNOSINE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4ACETYL CARNOSINE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=ACETYL%20CARNOSINE