Is Ascorbic Acid Natural?

Q: Is Ascorbic Acid natural?

Ascorbic Acid has a Natural Origin Index (NOI) of 0.00 (scale 0–1) per ISO 16128. Ascorbic acid is primarily synthesized industrially from petrochemical feedstocks, resulting in a Natural Origin Index (NOI) of 0.0. An NOI of 0.00 means 0% of its molecular mass is traceable to a natural, renewable source.

Learn about Ascorbic Acid — its natural origin index (ISO 16128), feedstock sources, synthesis process, and renewability classification.

0.0

out of 1.0

Natural Origin Index

INCI NameAscorbic Acid

IUPAC Name(2R)-2-[(1S)-1,2-dihydroxyethyl]-3,4-dihydroxy-2H-furan-5-one

FormulaC6H8O6

PubChem CID54670067 ↗

FunctionAntioxidant · Skin Conditioning Agent

FeedstockThe primary commercial feedstock for

Chemical Structure

Learn about Ascorbic Acid — its natural origin index (ISO 16128), feedstock sources, synthesis process, and renewability classification.

View full data on PubChem ↗

Quick Facts

INCI NameAscorbic Acid
IUPAC Name(2R)-2-[(1S)-1,2-dihydroxyethyl]-3,4-dihydroxy-2H-furan-5-one
Molecular FormulaC6H8O6
PubChem CID54670067 ↗
FunctionsAntioxidantSkin Conditioning Agent
Primary FeedstockThe primary commercial feedstock for ascorbic acid synthesis is glucose, which is typically derived from corn starch. While glucose is a renewable resource, its conversion into ascorbic acid involves multiple chemical synthesis steps that rely on petrochemical reagents and energy, leading to a petrochemical origin for the final product.
NOI Score0.0 / 1.0
Tier100% Petroleum

Description

Learn about Ascorbic Acid — its natural origin index (ISO 16128), feedstock sources, synthesis process, and renewability classification.

References

1ISO 16128-2:2017 — Guidelines on technical definitions and criteria for natural and organic cosmetic ingredients and products — Part 2. ISO, Geneva.
2Ascorbic Acid. National Center for Biotechnology Information. PubChem CID 54670067. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗