Database/Antimicrobial/Propionic Acid
100% petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Propionic Acid natural?

No. Bulk supply is made by petrochemical oxo-synthesis from ethylene; a fermentation route exists but is a negligible share of commercial volume.

INCI namePropionic Acid
CAS79-09-4
FormulaC3H6O2 · 74.08 Da
FunctionAntimicrobial · Fragrance
FeedstockProduced almost entirely by petrochemical oxidation of propionaldehyde…

How we scored it

C3H6O2, a single small molecule with no counter-ion to split out; the whole molecule follows its manufacturing route.
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

Produced almost entirely by petrochemical oxidation of propionaldehyde (from ethylene hydroformylation). A Propionibacterium fermentation route exists for niche natural-labelled supply but is a small fraction of output.

In plain English

A small acid used to fight microbes, adjust pH, or add scent. Nearly all commercial supply is made from petroleum-derived ethylene, though a minor fermentation-based source exists.

CosIng definition: Propionic Acid is the organic acid that conforms to the formula:

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Structure

2D structure of Propionic Acid

propanoic acid

PubChem CID 1032 ↗

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. 2Propionic Acid. PubChem CID 1032. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3PROPIONIC ACID. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4PROPIONIC ACID. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=PROPIONIC%20ACID