Is Linolenic Acid natural? NOI 1.00

Q: Is Linolenic Acid natural?

Linolenic Acid has a Natural Origin Index (NOI) of 1.00 (scale 0–1) per ISO 16128. Alpha-linolenic acid is a natural C18 vegetable-oil fatty acid within the assumed oleochemical range. An NOI of 1.00 means 100% of its molecular mass is traceable to a natural, renewable source.

How we scored it

C18 unsaturated fatty acid, oleochemical origin within the C8-C22 range = 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

Derived from vegetable oils rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as flaxseed or soybean oil, by fractionation or hydrolysis. No petrochemical feedstock is used.

In plain English

An essential fatty acid found in flaxseed and other vegetable oils. It conditions skin and hair and helps keep formulas smooth and stable.

Structure

(9Z,12Z,15Z)-octadeca-9,12,15-trienoic acid

PubChem CID 5280934 ↗

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.
2Linolenic Acid. PubChem CID 5280934. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
3LINOLENIC ACID. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
4LINOLENIC ACID. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=LINOLENIC%20ACID