How we scored it
Where it comes from
Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid (Ensulizole) is manufactured by condensing petrochemical aniline/benzimidazole and sulfanilic acid intermediates derived from benzene. No commercial natural or fermentation route exists.
In plain English
A synthetic sunscreen ingredient that absorbs UV-B rays. It's built from petroleum-derived aromatic chemicals in a lab, not extracted from any plant or natural source.
CosIng definition: Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid is the aromatic organic compound that conforms to the formula:
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Structure
2-phenyl-3H-benzimidazole-5-sulfonic 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.
- 2Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid. PubChem CID 33919. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
- 3PHENYLBENZIMIDAZOLE SULFONIC ACID. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
- 4PHENYLBENZIMIDAZOLE SULFONIC ACID. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=PHENYLBENZIMIDAZOLE%20SULFONIC%20ACID