How we scored it
Recovered as potassium bitartrate from wine-making residue; all atoms trace to grape-derived material (dominant 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
Mainly obtained by extracting potassium bitartrate (argol) left over from winemaking. A smaller synthetic supply of racemic tartaric acid is made from petrochemical maleic anhydride.
In plain English
A fruit acid best known from grapes, mostly recovered as a byproduct of winemaking. It helps balance product pH and gives a mild conditioning effect.
Structure
(2R,3R)-2,3-dihydroxybutanedioic 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.
- 2Tartaric Acid. PubChem CID 444305. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
- 3TARTARIC ACID. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
- 4TARTARIC ACID. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=TARTARIC%20ACID