Database/Buffering/Sodium Acetate
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Sodium Acetate natural?

Mostly not. Sodium is a natural mineral ion, but technical-grade acetic acid is predominantly made from petrochemical methanol via carbonylation, not fermentation.

INCI nameSodium Acetate
CAS127-09-3
FormulaC2H3NaO2 · 82.03 Da
FunctionBuffering · Fragrance
FeedstockNeutralisation of acetic acid (mostly from methanol carbonylation,…

How we scored it

Na 23Da natural metal ion; acetate C2H3O2 59Da petrochemical (dominant methanol-carbonylation route for technical-grade acetic acid) -> 23/82 = 0.28.
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

Neutralisation of acetic acid (mostly from methanol carbonylation, a petrochemical process) with sodium hydroxide/carbonate. A minor fermentation (vinegar) route also exists but is not typical for technical-grade material.

In plain English

A buffering salt used to stabilise product pH. Its sodium comes from a natural mineral, but the acetate part is usually made from petrochemical methanol rather than fermentation vinegar.

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Structure

2D structure of Sodium Acetate

sodium acetate

PubChem CID 31372 ↗

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. 2Sodium Acetate. PubChem CID 31372. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3SODIUM ACETATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4SODIUM ACETATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=SODIUM%20ACETATE