Database/Hair Conditioning/PPG-9-Buteth-12
100% petroleum · ISO 16128

Is PPG-9-Buteth-12 natural?

No. Butanol, ethylene oxide and propylene oxide are all petrochemical, so no fragment is of natural origin.

INCI namePPG-9-Buteth-12
CAS9038-95-3
FunctionHair Conditioning · Skin Conditioning
FeedstockSynthetic n-butanol is reacted with petrochemical propylene oxide…

How we scored it

n-Butanol 74 + 9 propylene oxide (523) + 12 ethylene oxide (529) = 1,125 Da; all petrochemical; natural 0 / 1,125 = 0.00.
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

Synthetic n-butanol is reacted with petrochemical propylene oxide and ethylene oxide to form a propoxylated, ethoxylated ether. No significant natural route exists.

In plain English

A liquid made by attaching chains of propylene oxide and ethylene oxide to butyl alcohol. It is used in small amounts to condition hair and skin. All of its raw materials come from petrochemicals.

CosIng definition: Oxirane, methyl-, polymer with oxirane, monobutyl ether

Natural alternatives with the same function

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. 2PPG-9-BUTETH-12. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3PPG-9-BUTETH-12. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=PPG-9-BUTETH-12