Database/Film Forming/Potassium Acetate
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Potassium Acetate natural?

Mostly not. Potassium is a natural mineral counter-ion; the acetate is dominantly made industrially from petrochemical methanol via carbonylation, not vinegar fermentation.

INCI namePotassium Acetate
CAS127-08-2
FormulaC2H3KO2 · 98.14 Da
FunctionFilm Forming
FeedstockThe potassium comes from mineral potash. The acetate…

How we scored it

K+ 39.10 Da natural mineral cation; acetate C2H3O2- 59.04 Da treated as petrochemical (dominant route); 39.10/98.14 = 0.40
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

The potassium comes from mineral potash. The acetate group is dominantly manufactured from petrochemical methanol by the carbonylation (Cativa/Monsanto) process; fermentation (vinegar) acetic acid is a minor, mainly food-grade route.

In plain English

A potassium salt of acetic acid, used to help products form a thin film on skin or hair. The potassium is mineral-derived; the acetate is mostly made from petrochemical methanol.

Natural alternatives with the same function

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Structure

2D structure of Potassium Acetate

potassium acetate

PubChem CID 517044 ↗

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. 2Potassium Acetate. PubChem CID 517044. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3POTASSIUM ACETATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4POTASSIUM ACETATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=POTASSIUM%20ACETATE