Database/Solvent/Dimethyl Sulfone
Route-dependent · ISO 16128

Is Dimethyl Sulfone natural?

It depends. MSM can be made from lignin-derived dimethyl sulfide (a kraft pulping byproduct) or from petrochemical methanol/hydrogen sulfide; commercial share is genuinely uncertain.

INCI nameDimethyl Sulfone
CAS67-71-0
FormulaC2H6O2S · 94.14 Da
FunctionSolvent · Viscosity Controlling
FeedstockHistorically the DMSO feedstock came from kraft wood-pulping…

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
Synthetic DMS (methanol + hydrogen sulfide) oxidised to DMSO then MSMpetrochemical methanol / natural-gas hydrogen sulfide0.00likely dominant, ~60-80%
Kraft wood-pulping byproduct DMS oxidised to DMSO then MSMlignin-derived dimethyl sulfide (wood-pulp byproduct)1.00~20-40%
Ask your supplier. A batch-specific certificate of origin or bio-based carbon test (ASTM D6866) settles which route applies.

How we scored it

Route-dependent: kraft wood-pulp DMS to DMSO to oxidation (byproduct, natural) vs synthetic DMS from methanol+H2S to DMSO to oxidation (petrochemical); never averaged into one number.
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

Historically the DMSO feedstock came from kraft wood-pulping byproduct dimethyl sulfide. Rising demand means synthetic dimethyl sulfide from methanol and hydrogen sulfide (petrochemical) is now believed to supply a large, possibly dominant, share.

In plain English

A small sulfur compound (MSM) used as a solvent and to help control product thickness. Made either from a wood-pulping byproduct or from synthetic petrochemical feedstocks, depending on the supplier.

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Structure

2D structure of Dimethyl Sulfone

methylsulfonylmethane

PubChem CID 6213 ↗

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. 2Dimethyl Sulfone. PubChem CID 6213. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3DIMETHYL SULFONE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4DIMETHYL SULFONE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=DIMETHYL%20SULFONE