Database/Preservative/Potassium Propionate
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Potassium Propionate natural?

Mostly not. Potassium ion counts as natural mineral origin; the propionate anion is petrochemical since bulk propionic acid is oxo-synthesised.

INCI namePotassium Propionate
CAS327-62-8
FormulaC3H5KO2 · 112.17 Da
FunctionPreservative
FeedstockMade by neutralising petrochemical propionic acid with a…

How we scored it

C3H5KO2, 112.17 Da: K+ (natural mineral ion, 39.10 Da) + propionate (follows petrochemical propionic acid, 73.07 Da); 39.10/112.17=0.35.
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

Made by neutralising petrochemical propionic acid with a potassium base. The potassium is a natural mineral counter-ion; no significant natural propionate route exists at commercial scale.

In plain English

A preservative that is the potassium salt of propionic acid. The potassium portion counts as a natural mineral, but the acid part is normally made from petroleum feedstock.

CosIng definition: Potassium Propionate is the potassium salt of propionic acid that conforms to the formula:

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Structure

2D structure of Potassium Propionate

potassium propanoate

PubChem CID 23663619 ↗

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 Propionate. PubChem CID 23663619. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3POTASSIUM PROPIONATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4POTASSIUM PROPIONATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=POTASSIUM%20PROPIONATE