How we scored it
Propane (C3H8) is a fossil hydrocarbon separated from natural gas/petroleum refining; no natural building blocks are incorporated → 0.0.
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
Commercially produced by fractional distillation of natural gas liquids or petroleum refining streams. A minor bio-propane by-product of renewable diesel (HVO) production exists but is not a significant share of cosmetic propellant supply.
In plain English
Propane is a gas from natural gas/petroleum processing, used as a propellant to spray aerosol products from their cans.
Natural alternatives with the same function
Carbon Dioxide
100% natural origin
A natural gas used to propel product out of aerosol cans. It's simply captured and compressed, most often…
Nitrogen 100% natural originAn inert gas used to push product out of pressurised containers, keeping the formula from contacting oxygen. It's…
Salvia Officinalis Leaf Oil 100% natural originAn essential oil steam-distilled from sage leaves, used as a fragrance ingredient and propellant. It comes directly from…
Structure
propane
References
- 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.
- 2Propane. PubChem CID 6334. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
- 3PROPANE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
- 4PROPANE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=PROPANE