Database/Hair Waving Or Straightening/Potassium Metabisulfite
100% natural origin · ISO 16128

Is Potassium Metabisulfite natural?

Yes. An inorganic mineral salt of potassium and metabisulfite; both cation and anion are classed as natural-origin minerals under ISO 16128.

INCI namePotassium Metabisulfite
CAS16731-55-8
FormulaK2O5S2 · 222.33 Da
FunctionHair Waving Or Straightening · Preservative
FeedstockManufactured by reacting sulfur dioxide with potassium carbonate…

How we scored it

Inorganic potassium sulfite salt K2O5S2; potassium cation and metabisulfite anion both count as mineral natural-origin per ISO 16128. 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

Manufactured by reacting sulfur dioxide with potassium carbonate or hydroxide to form the metabisulfite salt. As an inorganic mineral salt it is natural-origin by convention, though not renewable.

In plain English

An inorganic potassium salt made from sulfur dioxide and potassium. Used in hair-waving products, as a preservative, and as a reducing agent.

CosIng definition: Potassium Metabisulfite is the inorganic salt that conforms to the formula:

Structure

2D structure of Potassium Metabisulfite

PubChem CID 28019 ↗

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 Metabisulfite. PubChem CID 28019. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3POTASSIUM METABISULFITE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4POTASSIUM METABISULFITE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=POTASSIUM%20METABISULFITE