Database/Antimicrobial/Potassium Salicylate
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Potassium Salicylate natural?

Mostly not. Salicylic acid is a petrochemical phenol derivative; the potassium counter-ion is a natural-origin mineral under ISO 16128.

INCI namePotassium Salicylate
CAS578-36-9
FormulaC7H5KO3 · 176.21 Da
FunctionAntimicrobial · Preservative
FeedstockMade by neutralising synthetic salicylic acid (from phenol…

How we scored it

Salicylate C7H5O3 137.1 Da (petrochemical, phenol-derived) + K 39.1 Da (natural mineral counter-ion) = 176.2 Da -> 39.1/176.2 = 0.22.
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 synthetic salicylic acid (from phenol via Kolbe-Schmitt synthesis) with a potassium base. No natural-extraction route is commercially significant for salicylic acid in this application.

In plain English

A preservative and antimicrobial made by neutralising lab-made salicylic acid with a potassium mineral salt. Helps keep formulas free of unwanted microbial growth.

CosIng definition: Potassium Salicylate is the potassium salt of Salicylic Acid that conforms to the formula:

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Structure

2D structure of Potassium Salicylate

potassium 2-hydroxybenzoate

PubChem CID 23664627 ↗

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 Salicylate. PubChem CID 23664627. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3POTASSIUM SALICYLATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4POTASSIUM SALICYLATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=POTASSIUM%20SALICYLATE