Database/Humectant/Beta-Alanine
Route-dependent · ISO 16128

Is Beta-Alanine natural?

It depends. Commercial beta-alanine is made from petrochemical acrylonitrile; a fermentation route via aspartic acid is emerging, so the score depends on the supplier.

INCI nameBeta-Alanine
CAS107-95-9
FormulaC3H7NO2 · 89.09 Da
FunctionHumectant
FeedstockConfirm the route with the supplier; most bulk…

Why the score varies

This ingredient is made commercially by more than one route, and ISO 16128 scores the feedstock actually used. Without a supplier certificate of origin the value cannot be claimed.

RouteFeedstockNOIShareNotes
Petrochemical synthesisAcrylonitrile + ammonia0.00DominantFully synthetic
Fermentation / enzymaticSugar-derived aspartic acid decarboxylation1.00EmergingNatural origin
Ask your supplier. A batch-specific certificate of origin or bio-based carbon test (ASTM D6866) settles which route applies.

How we scored it

C3H7NO2. Traditional route: acrylonitrile + ammonia then hydrolysis, petrochemical, 0.0. Fermentation route (glucose/aspartate decarboxylation): 1.0. Dominant cosmetic-grade route uncertain.
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

Confirm the route with the supplier; most bulk material is synthetic.

In plain English

A humectant amino acid that helps skin hold moisture. It is usually made by chemical synthesis from petrochemical starting materials, though some is now produced by fermenting sugar.

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Structure

2D structure of Beta-Alanine

3-aminopropanoic acid

PubChem CID 239 ↗

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. 2Beta-Alanine. PubChem CID 239. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3BETA-ALANINE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4BETA-ALANINE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=BETA-ALANINE