Database/Hair Dyeing/m-Aminophenol Sulfate
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is m-Aminophenol Sulfate natural?

Mostly not. Aminophenol is a synthetic phenol/aniline derivative; only the sulfate counter-ion is natural mineral mass.

INCI namem-Aminophenol Sulfate
CAS68239-81-6
FormulaC12H16N2O6S · 316.33 Da
FunctionHair Dyeing
Feedstockm-Aminophenol is manufactured from petrochemical phenol or nitrobenzene…

How we scored it

2x 3-aminophenol (petrochemical phenol derivative) 218.26 Da + H2SO4 (mineral) 98.07 Da = 316.33; natural = 98.07/316.33 = 0.31.
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

m-Aminophenol is manufactured from petrochemical phenol or nitrobenzene via nitration/reduction chemistry, then isolated as the sulfate salt. No natural-origin route exists for the aromatic ring.

In plain English

A synthetic hair-dye ingredient that helps develop colour on hair. Made industrially from petrochemical aromatic chemistry, combined with a mineral sulfate salt.

Natural alternatives with the same function

Beta Vulgaris Root Powder 100% natural origin

A powder made by drying and grinding sugar beet root. Used as a natural colorant for hair dye…

 Bismuth Citrate 100% natural origin

A salt formed from bismuth metal and citric acid, a natural fermentation-derived fruit acid, used to buffer, chelate…

 Dihydroxyacetone 100% natural origin

The active self-tanning ingredient that reacts with skin's surface proteins to produce a temporary bronze colour; made by…

 Epicatechin 100% natural origin

An antioxidant compound naturally found in tea and cocoa, used in skin, hair and oral care. It's extracted…

 Lawsonia Inermis Extract 100% natural origin

A plant extract from the henna shrub, used to condition hair and skin and add a reddish tint.…

 Pyrogallol 100% natural origin

A hair-dye ingredient traditionally made by heating gallic acid, itself extracted from plant tannins in gallnuts, until it…

Structure

2D structure of m-Aminophenol Sulfate

bis(3-aminophenol);sulfuric acid

PubChem CID 163205 ↗

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. 2m-Aminophenol Sulfate. PubChem CID 163205. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3M-AMINOPHENOL SULFATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4M-AMINOPHENOL SULFATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=M-AMINOPHENOL%20SULFATE