Database/Antioxidant/Cysteine
100% natural origin · ISO 16128

Is Cysteine natural?

Yes. Amino acid obtained by fermentation or hydrolysis of natural protein (keratin) sources.

INCI nameCysteine
CAS52-90-4
FormulaC3H7NO2S · 121.16 Da
FunctionAntioxidant · Antistatic
FeedstockProduced industrially by microbial fermentation, or by hydrolysis…

How we scored it

Free amino acid; amino acids scored 1.0 as fermentation/protein-hydrolysate products.
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

Produced industrially by microbial fermentation, or by hydrolysis of keratin-rich natural materials such as feathers or hair. No petrochemical feedstock is used.

In plain English

An amino acid used to condition hair and skin and as an antioxidant, also used to relax or wave hair. Produced by fermentation or from hydrolysed natural proteins.

Structure

2D structure of Cysteine

(2R)-2-amino-3-sulfanylpropanoic acid

PubChem CID 5862 ↗

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. 2Cysteine. PubChem CID 5862. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3CYSTEINE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4CYSTEINE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=CYSTEINE