Database/Humectant/Sodium Malate
Route-dependent · ISO 16128

Is Sodium Malate natural?

It depends. Sodium is a natural mineral counter-ion in both cases; the malate fragment is natural if fruit/fermentation-sourced but petrochemical if made from maleic anhydride.

INCI nameSodium Malate
CAS58214-38-3
FormulaC4H4Na2O5 · 178.05 Da
FunctionHumectant · Skin Conditioning
FeedstockMade by neutralizing malic acid with sodium base.…

Why the score varies

This ingredient is made commercially by more than one route, and ISO 16128 scores the feedstock actually used. Without a supplier certificate of origin the value cannot be claimed.

RouteFeedstockNOIShareNotes
Petrochemical DL-malic acid + sodiumMaleic anhydride (benzene/butane) hydration; mineral sodium base0.26majority of global malic acid supply
Fruit/fermentation L-malic acid + sodiumApple or fermentation-derived L-malic acid; mineral sodium base1.00minority, natural-cosmetics suppliers
Ask your supplier. A batch-specific certificate of origin or bio-based carbon test (ASTM D6866) settles which route applies.

How we scored it

Na2 (45.98 Da, mineral, natural) + malate (132.07 Da); malic-acid route decides malate's origin: petrochemical maleic-anhydride route → 45.98/178.05=0.26; fruit/fermentation route → 1.0.
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

Made by neutralizing malic acid with sodium base. Most commercial malic acid comes from petrochemical maleic-anhydride hydration; a smaller fruit/fermentation-derived L-malic acid supply serves natural-cosmetics formulators.

In plain English

The sodium salt of a fruit acid, used as a humectant and skin-conditioning ingredient that helps draw and hold moisture in skin.

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Structure

2D structure of Sodium Malate

disodium;2-hydroxybutanedioate

PubChem CID 8736 ↗

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 Malate. PubChem CID 8736. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3SODIUM MALATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4SODIUM MALATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=SODIUM%20MALATE