Database/Preservative/Potassium Benzoate
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Potassium Benzoate natural?

Mostly not. Benzoic acid is an explicitly petrochemical aromatic; potassium is a natural mineral counter-ion.

INCI namePotassium Benzoate
CAS582-25-2
FormulaC7H5KO2 · 160.21 Da
FunctionPreservative
FeedstockBenzoic acid is industrially made by catalytic oxidation…

How we scored it

Benzoate C7H5O2 (121.1 Da, petrochemical, benzene/toluene-derived) + K (39.1 Da, natural mineral) = 160.2 Da total; 39.1/160.2 = 0.24.
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

Benzoic acid is industrially made by catalytic oxidation of petrochemical toluene, then neutralised with potassium hydroxide or carbonate. Natural benzoin-resin routes exist but are not used for commercial cosmetic-grade material.

In plain English

A preservative made by combining benzoic acid, usually produced from petrochemical toluene, with potassium, a natural mineral. Prevents microbial growth in cosmetic formulas.

CosIng definition: Potassium Benzoate is the potassium salt of Benzoic Acid. It conforms to the formula:

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Structure

2D structure of Potassium Benzoate

potassium benzoate

PubChem CID 23661960 ↗

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 Benzoate. PubChem CID 23661960. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3POTASSIUM BENZOATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4POTASSIUM BENZOATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=POTASSIUM%20BENZOATE