Database/Preservative/Sodium Pyrithione
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Sodium Pyrithione natural?

Mostly not. Sodium salt of a synthetic hydroxypyridinethione ring; only the sodium counter-ion is natural, the ring is petrochemical.

INCI nameSodium Pyrithione
CAS15922-78-8
FormulaC5H4NNaOS · 149.15 Da
FunctionPreservative
FeedstockManufactured by synthesising 2-mercaptopyridine-N-oxide from petrochemical pyridine intermediates,…

How we scored it

Na+ 23Da counts as natural mineral counter-ion; synthetic pyridinethione ring C5H4NOS 126Da = 23/149 → 0.15
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 synthesising 2-mercaptopyridine-N-oxide from petrochemical pyridine intermediates, then neutralising with sodium hydroxide. No natural-origin route exists for the organic ring.

In plain English

A synthetic anti-dandruff and preserving ingredient made in the lab from petrochemical pyridine. Only its sodium portion comes from a natural mineral salt.

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Structure

2D structure of Sodium Pyrithione

sodium 1-oxidopyridine-2-thione

PubChem CID 23685289 ↗

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 Pyrithione. PubChem CID 23685289. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3SODIUM PYRITHIONE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4SODIUM PYRITHIONE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=SODIUM%20PYRITHIONE