How we scored it
Amorphous silicon dioxide precipitated from mineral silicate; silica is explicitly natural-origin under ISO 16128 regardless of synthetic precipitation → 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
Manufactured by precipitating silicic acid from sodium silicate (itself from sand/quartz) with acid. Classed as natural-origin mineral silica under ISO 16128 despite the synthetic manufacturing process.
In plain English
A fine silica (silicon dioxide) powder made from mineral silicate sources. Used to gently exfoliate, absorb oil, and add bulk or opacity to formulas.
CosIng definition: Silicic acid; synthetic amorphous silicon dioxide
Structure
dioxosilane;hydrate
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.
- 2Hydrated Silica. PubChem CID 190201. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
- 3HYDRATED SILICA. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
- 4HYDRATED SILICA. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=HYDRATED%20SILICA