Database/Preservative/Sodium Propionate
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Sodium Propionate natural?

Mostly not. Most commercial propionic acid comes from petrochemical carbonylation of ethylene; only the sodium counter-ion is mineral-natural.

INCI nameSodium Propionate
CAS137-40-6
FormulaC3H5NaO2 · 96.06 Da
FunctionPreservative
FeedstockPropionic acid is predominantly manufactured from ethylene and…

How we scored it

MW 96.06: Na 22.99 natural (mineral) / propionate C3H5O2 73.07 (petrochemical, Reppe/oxo route from ethylene) -> 22.99/96.06=0.24.
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

Propionic acid is predominantly manufactured from ethylene and carbon monoxide (Reppe carbonylation) or propionaldehyde oxidation, both petrochemical. A smaller fermentation (Propionibacterium) route exists but is not dominant for cosmetic grade.

In plain English

A preservative salt that inhibits mould and bacteria in cosmetics. Mostly made from petrochemical feedstocks today, with only the sodium portion coming from a mineral source.

CosIng definition: Sodium Propionate is the sodium salt of propionic acid that conforms to the formula:

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Structure

2D structure of Sodium Propionate

sodium propanoate

PubChem CID 2723816 ↗

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 Propionate. PubChem CID 2723816. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3SODIUM PROPIONATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4SODIUM PROPIONATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=SODIUM%20PROPIONATE