Database/Antimicrobial/Mandelic Acid
100% petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Mandelic Acid natural?

No. The benzene ring and side chain both trace to petrochemical benzaldehyde, per the site's benzene-derivative rule.

INCI nameMandelic Acid
CAS90-64-2
FormulaC8H8O3 · 152.15 Da
FunctionAntimicrobial
FeedstockManufactured synthetically from benzaldehyde, itself made from petrochemical…

How we scored it

Phenylglycolic acid made from benzaldehyde (petrochemical, ex-toluene) + HCN/hydrolysis → 0/total = 0.0.
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.

How it’s made

Cyanohydrin formation (cyanide adds to benzaldehyde; HCN protonates) → mandelonitrile. The film draws the key step and names the steps after it. Each curved arrow moves one electron pair, and the film ends on the score above.

Where it comes from

Manufactured synthetically from benzaldehyde, itself made from petrochemical toluene, via cyanohydrin or chloral chemistry. Commercial production is not extracted from bitter almonds.

In plain English

An acid with mild antimicrobial and exfoliating properties used in skincare. It is manufactured synthetically from benzaldehyde, a petrochemical aromatic compound, rather than extracted from plants.

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Structure

2D structure of Mandelic Acid

2-hydroxy-2-phenylacetic acid

PubChem CID 1292 ↗

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. 2Mandelic Acid. PubChem CID 1292. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3MANDELIC ACID. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4MANDELIC ACID. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=MANDELIC%20ACID