Database/Not Reported/Glyceryl Lactate
100% natural origin · ISO 16128

Is Glyceryl Lactate natural?

Yes. Monoester of oleochemical glycerin and fermentation-derived lactic acid; no petrochemical fragment present.

INCI nameGlyceryl Lactate
CAS26855-41-4
FormulaC6H12O5 · 164.16 Da
FunctionNot Reported
FeedstockMade by esterifying vegetable-oil glycerin with fermentation-derived lactic…

How we scored it

Glycerin C3H8O3 (92 Da) + lactic acid C3H6O3 (90 Da) minus H2O (18 Da) = 164 Da, matching C6H12O5; both feedstocks natural.
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 glycerin with fermentation-derived lactic acid. No petrochemical route is used commercially.

In plain English

A moisturizing ingredient formed by combining glycerin with lactic acid. Both come from plant oils and fermentation, and together they help draw and hold water in the skin.

CosIng definition: Glyceryl Lactate is the monoester of glycerin and lactic acid. It conforms generally to the formula:

Structure

2D structure of Glyceryl Lactate

2,3-dihydroxypropyl 2-hydroxypropanoate

PubChem CID 95467 ↗

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. 2Glyceryl Lactate. PubChem CID 95467. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3GLYCERYL LACTATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4GLYCERYL LACTATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=GLYCERYL%20LACTATE