Database/Uv Absorber/Sodium Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonate
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Sodium Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonate natural?

Mostly not. The aromatic benzimidazole/phenyl chromophore is synthesized from petrochemical feedstocks; the sulfonate-sodium group counts as mineral-origin.

INCI nameSodium Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonate
CAS5997-53-5
FunctionUv Absorber · Uv Filter
FeedstockManufactured by sulfonation and salt formation of phenylbenzimidazole,…

How we scored it

C13H9N2NaO3S approx 296Da: aromatic phenylbenzimidazole core 193Da(0)+SO3Na 103Da(1, mineral/sulfonate) -> 103/296=0.35.
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

Manufactured by sulfonation and salt formation of phenylbenzimidazole, an aromatic compound built from benzene/toluene-derived precursors. No natural-origin route exists for the chromophore.

In plain English

A sunscreen active that absorbs UV rays before they reach skin. It is a lab-made molecule from petrochemical aromatic compounds, neutralized as a sodium salt.

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Structure

2D structure of Sodium Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonate

PubChem CID 23663543 ↗

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 Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonate. PubChem CID 23663543. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3SODIUM PHENYLBENZIMIDAZOLE SULFONATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4SODIUM PHENYLBENZIMIDAZOLE SULFONATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=SODIUM%20PHENYLBENZIMIDAZOLE%20SULFONATE