Database/Preservative/DMDM Hydantoin
100% petroleum · ISO 16128

Is DMDM Hydantoin natural?

No. The entire molecule is built from formaldehyde and a synthetic hydantoin ring, both petrochemical feedstocks.

INCI nameDMDM Hydantoin
CAS6440-58-0
FormulaC7H12N2O4 · 188.18 Da
FunctionPreservative
FeedstockProduced by reacting formaldehyde with 5,5-dimethylhydantoin, itself made…

How we scored it

Dimethylol dimethylhydantoin from formaldehyde + synthetic hydantoin ring; both petrochemical → 0/total = 0.0.
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.

How it’s made

N-Hydroxymethylation with formaldehyde (×2). Each curved arrow moves one electron pair, and the film ends on the score above.

Where it comes from

Produced by reacting formaldehyde with 5,5-dimethylhydantoin, itself made from petrochemical acetone and cyanide chemistry. No natural-origin route exists commercially.

In plain English

A preservative used in small amounts to prevent microbial growth in creams, lotions and shampoos. It is made industrially from formaldehyde and a synthetic hydantoin compound, both derived from petrochemical feedstocks.

CosIng definition: DMDM Hydantoin is the organic compound that conforms to the formula:

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Structure

2D structure of DMDM Hydantoin

1,3-bis(hydroxymethyl)-5,5-dimethylimidazolidine-2,4-dione

PubChem CID 22947 ↗

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. 2DMDM Hydantoin. PubChem CID 22947. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3DMDM HYDANTOIN. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4DMDM HYDANTOIN. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=DMDM%20HYDANTOIN