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.
| Route | Feedstock | NOI | Share | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| petrochemical hydrogenation | maleic anhydride from butane/benzene oxidation | 0.00 | historically dominant, still large | |
| fermentation | glucose via engineered microbial fermentation | 1.00 | significant and growing |
How we scored it
Where it comes from
Succinic Acid is produced either by catalytic hydrogenation of maleic anhydride derived from petrochemical butane/benzene, or by fermentation of glucose using engineered bacteria or yeast. Both routes supply the cosmetic ingredient market, with the bio-based share growing.
In plain English
A buffering and fragrance ingredient that can be made either by fermenting plant sugar or by processing petroleum by-products. Both methods are used commercially, so its natural content depends on the supplier.
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Structure
butanedioic acid
References
- 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.
- 2Succinic Acid. PubChem CID 1110. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
- 3SUCCINIC ACID. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
- 4SUCCINIC ACID. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=SUCCINIC%20ACID