Database/Antioxidant/Resorcinol
100% petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Resorcinol natural?

No. Manufactured from petrochemical benzene via sulfonation or cumene-based processes; no natural-origin fragment in this small aromatic molecule.

INCI nameResorcinol
CAS108-46-3
FormulaC6H6O2 · 110.11 Da
FunctionAntioxidant · Denaturant
FeedstockProduced industrially from benzene, typically via a cumene-type…

How we scored it

Benzene-1,3-diol, a simple dihydroxybenzene made industrially from benzene. Wholly petrochemical (phenol derivative). 0/110=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

Produced industrially from benzene, typically via a cumene-type or benzene-disulfonation process. This is the only commercial route.

In plain English

Resorcinol is a synthetic ingredient used in hair dyes and as an antioxidant. It is manufactured entirely from petroleum-derived benzene.

CosIng definition: Resorcinol is the phenol that conforms to the formula

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Structure

2D structure of Resorcinol

benzene-1,3-diol

PubChem CID 5054 ↗

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. 2Resorcinol. PubChem CID 5054. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3RESORCINOL. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4RESORCINOL. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=RESORCINOL