Database/Film Forming/Cellulose Acetate Propionate
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Cellulose Acetate Propionate natural?

Mostly. Wood-pulp cellulose esterified with acetic and propionic anhydrides. The sugar backbone is natural; the acyl groups are petrochemical, and their share depends on the grade's degree of substitution. Same method as Cellulose Acetate Butyrate.

INCI nameCellulose Acetate Propionate
CAS9004-39-1
FunctionFilm Forming
FeedstockPurified wood-pulp cellulose reacted with petrochemical propionic and…

How we scored it

Per anhydroglucose unit: cellulose C6H10O5 162.1 Da minus 2.6 substituted H = 159.5 Da natural (wood pulp); acetyl DS 0.1 × 43.0 Da + propionyl DS 2.5 × 57.1 Da = 147.0 Da petrochemical (acetic and propionic anhydrides); total 306.5 Da → 159.5/306.5 = 0.52 for a typical film-forming grade. Grades range from about 0.50 (heavily substituted) to 0.57 (lightly substituted).
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

Purified wood-pulp cellulose reacted with petrochemical propionic and acetic anhydrides.

In plain English

A film-forming ingredient made from wood or cotton cellulose whose natural hydroxyl groups are capped with acetic and propionic acid groups. Used in nail and hair products to form a flexible film.

CosIng definition: Cellulose, acetates, propanoates

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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. 2CELLULOSE ACETATE PROPIONATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3CELLULOSE ACETATE PROPIONATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=CELLULOSE%20ACETATE%20PROPIONATE