How we scored it
Glycerol esterified with citric acid, lactic acid, linoleic acid and oleic acid — all natural (fermentation acids + vegetable fatty acids); built only from natural blocks → 1.0.
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.
Where it comes from
Made by esterifying vegetable-oil-derived glycerin with fermentation-derived citric and lactic acid and vegetable fatty acids (linoleic, oleic). No petrochemical route is used commercially.
In plain English
An emulsifier and skin-conditioning ingredient made by combining glycerin with citric acid, lactic acid, and two vegetable-oil-derived fatty acids (linoleic and oleic acid).
CosIng definition: 9-Octadeceneoic acid, mixed esters with glycerol, 9,12-octadecadienoic acid, 2-hydroxy-1,2,3-propanetricarboxylic acid, and 2-hydroxypropanoic acid
References
- 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.
- 2GLYCERYL CITRATE/LACTATE/LINOLEATE/OLEATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
- 3GLYCERYL CITRATE/LACTATE/LINOLEATE/OLEATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=GLYCERYL%20CITRATE/LACTATE/LINOLEATE/OLEATE