Database/Buffering/Potassium Bitartrate
100% natural origin · ISO 16128

Is Potassium Bitartrate natural?

Yes. Tartaric acid is a grape winemaking by-product; potassium is a natural mineral counter-ion.

INCI namePotassium Bitartrate
CAS868-14-4
FormulaC4H5KO6 · 188.18 Da
FunctionBuffering
FeedstockCrystallised from tartaric acid recovered as a winemaking…

How we scored it

Tartaric acid moiety (fermentation/winemaking by-product, natural) + potassium (mineral, natural); both fragments natural → 1.0
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

Crystallised from tartaric acid recovered as a winemaking by-product, neutralised with potassium. No petrochemical route is used commercially.

In plain English

Cream of tartar, a mineral salt of tartaric acid recovered from winemaking, used to balance pH. It is a natural by-product of grape fermentation.

CosIng definition: Potassium Bitartrate is the organic compound

Structure

2D structure of Potassium Bitartrate

potassium (2R,3R)-2,3,4-trihydroxy-4-oxobutanoate

PubChem CID 23681127 ↗

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 Bitartrate. PubChem CID 23681127. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3POTASSIUM BITARTRATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4POTASSIUM BITARTRATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=POTASSIUM%20BITARTRATE