Database/Chelating/Tetrasodium EDTA
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Tetrasodium EDTA natural?

Mostly not. A synthetic chelator built from petrochemical ethylenediamine and chloroacetic acid, fully neutralized with natural mineral sodium.

INCI nameTetrasodium EDTA
CAS64-02-8
FormulaC10H12N2Na4O8 · 380.17 Da
FunctionChelating
FeedstockManufactured by reacting petrochemical ethylenediamine with sodium chloroacetate,…

How we scored it

EDTA backbone (petrochemical) MW~292; tetrasodium salt MW~380; natural Na mass 92/380=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

Manufactured by reacting petrochemical ethylenediamine with sodium chloroacetate, then fully neutralizing the resulting acid with sodium hydroxide. Only the sodium portion of the molecule traces to a mineral feedstock.

In plain English

A lab-made chelating ingredient, fully neutralized with sodium. Binds trace metal ions in a formula so they don't degrade fragrance, colour or preservatives.

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Structure

2D structure of Tetrasodium EDTA

tetrasodium;2-[2-[bis(carboxylatomethyl)amino]ethyl-(carboxylatomethyl)amino]acetate

PubChem CID 6144 ↗

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. 2Tetrasodium EDTA. PubChem CID 6144. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3TETRASODIUM EDTA. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4TETRASODIUM EDTA. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=TETRASODIUM%20EDTA