Database/Antimicrobial/MDM Hydantoin
100% petroleum · ISO 16128

Is MDM Hydantoin natural?

No. Every atom comes from acetone, hydrogen cyanide, ammonia, carbon dioxide and formaldehyde made from fossil feedstocks, so none is natural-origin.

INCI nameMDM Hydantoin
CAS116-25-6
FormulaC6H10N2O3 · 158.16 Da
FunctionAntimicrobial
FeedstockAcetone, cyanide and ammonium carbonate (or acetone cyanohydrin)…

How we scored it

5,5-dimethylhydantoin ring (acetone, cyanide, ammonia, CO2) + N-CH2OH (formaldehyde): all petrochemical; natural 0 / 158.2 = 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.

Where it comes from

Acetone, cyanide and ammonium carbonate (or acetone cyanohydrin) give 5,5-dimethylhydantoin, which is hydroxymethylated with formaldehyde. No bio-based route is commercial.

In plain English

A synthetic preservative that stops bacteria and fungi growing in water-based products. It is made in a factory from acetone, cyanide, ammonia and formaldehyde.

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Structure

2D structure of MDM Hydantoin

1-(hydroxymethyl)-5,5-dimethylimidazolidine-2,4-dione

PubChem CID 67000 ↗

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. 2MDM Hydantoin. PubChem CID 67000. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3MDM HYDANTOIN. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4MDM HYDANTOIN. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=MDM%20HYDANTOIN