Database/Humectant/Maltitol
100% natural origin · ISO 16128

Is Maltitol natural?

Yes. Carbon skeleton comes entirely from starch-derived maltose; catalytic hydrogenation adds only hydrogen, which is not counted as petrochemical mass.

INCI nameMaltitol
CAS585-88-6
FormulaC12H24O11 · 344.31 Da
FunctionHumectant · Fragrance
FeedstockProduced by catalytic hydrogenation of maltose, itself derived…

How we scored it

Maltose (starch-derived disaccharide, natural) with its aldehyde reduced to an alcohol by hydrogen gas; H2 is a reagent, not counted as petroleum mass. 100% 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

Produced by catalytic hydrogenation of maltose, itself derived from starch (commonly corn or wheat) via enzymatic hydrolysis. No petrochemical route is used.

In plain English

A sugar alcohol humectant that attracts moisture to skin, made by hydrogenating maltose from starch. Also used as a low-calorie sweetener in food.

Structure

2D structure of Maltitol

(2S,3R,4R,5R)-4-[(2R,3R,4S,5S,6R)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxyhexane-1,2,3,5,6-pentol

PubChem CID 493591 ↗

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. 2Maltitol. PubChem CID 493591. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3MALTITOL. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4MALTITOL. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=MALTITOL