Database/Light Stabilizer/Benzophenone-5
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Benzophenone-5 natural?

Mostly not. The sodium sulfonate portion is mineral-derived and natural, but the aromatic benzophenone core, most of the mass, is petrochemical.

INCI nameBenzophenone-5
CAS6628-37-1
FormulaC14H11NaO6S · 330.29 Da
FunctionLight Stabilizer · Uv Absorber
FeedstockMade by sulfonating benzophenone (from petrochemical benzene derivatives)…

How we scored it

Sodium sulfonate salt of benzophenone-4: SO3Na group approx 103 Da (natural, mineral) of total approx 330 Da; aromatic benzophenone core approx 227 Da (petrochemical); 103/330 = 0.31.
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

Made by sulfonating benzophenone (from petrochemical benzene derivatives) and neutralising to the sodium salt. No natural-origin route exists for the aromatic core.

In plain English

A UV filter ingredient used to boost sunscreen stability, made as a sodium salt of a benzophenone compound. The aromatic core is petrochemical; the sodium sulfonate part is mineral-derived.

CosIng definition: Benzophenone-5 is the sodium salt of Benzophenone-4 and conforms to the formula:

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Structure

2D structure of Benzophenone-5

sodium 5-benzoyl-4-hydroxy-2-methoxybenzenesulfonate

PubChem CID 23674885 ↗

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. 2Benzophenone-5. PubChem CID 23674885. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3BENZOPHENONE-5. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4BENZOPHENONE-5. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=BENZOPHENONE-5