Database/Antioxidant/Propyl Gallate
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Propyl Gallate natural?

Mostly. Gallic acid comes from plant tannins; the propanol used to esterify it is a petrochemical alcohol.

INCI namePropyl Gallate
CAS121-79-9
FormulaC10H12O5 · 212.20 Da
FunctionAntioxidant · Perfuming
FeedstockMade by esterifying gallic acid, obtained by hydrolysing…

How we scored it

Ester C10H12O5 212.2 Da: gallate fragment 169.1 Da natural (plant tannin) + propyl 43.1 Da petrochemical → 169/212 = 0.80.
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.

How it’s made

Fischer esterification of gallic acid with 1-propanol. Each curved arrow moves one electron pair, and the film ends on the score above.

Where it comes from

Made by esterifying gallic acid, obtained by hydrolysing tannins from gallnuts or tara pods, with propanol, a petrochemical alcohol. The plant-derived acid supplies most of the molecule's mass.

In plain English

An antioxidant that helps protect oils and fragrances in cosmetics from going rancid. It is made by combining gallic acid, extracted from plant tannins such as gallnuts, with propanol, a synthetic alcohol.

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Structure

2D structure of Propyl Gallate

propyl 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoate

PubChem CID 4947 ↗

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. 2Propyl Gallate. PubChem CID 4947. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3PROPYL GALLATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4PROPYL GALLATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=PROPYL%20GALLATE