How we scored it
Where it comes from
Malonic acid is conventionally made via the cyanoacetic acid process from chloroacetic acid and sodium cyanide, a fully synthetic route. A newer fermentation-based (bio-malonic acid) route exists but its current share of cosmetic-grade supply is uncertain.
In plain English
A small acid used to adjust pH in formulas. It's typically made through industrial chemical synthesis rather than from plants. A newer plant-fermentation version exists but is less common.
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Structure
propanedioic 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.
- 2Malonic Acid. PubChem CID 867. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
- 3MALONIC ACID. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
- 4MALONIC ACID. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=MALONIC%20ACID