Database/Antimicrobial/Triacetin
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Triacetin natural?

Mostly not. Glycerin backbone is natural; the three acetyl groups come from petrochemical acetic anhydride.

INCI nameTriacetin
CAS102-76-1
FormulaC9H14O6 · 218.20 Da
FunctionAntimicrobial · Film Forming
FeedstockMade by acetylating natural glycerin with acetic anhydride.…

How we scored it

Glyceryl core C3H5O3=89.1 Da (natural) + 3 acetyl C2H3O=129.1 Da (petrochemical, acetic anhydride cap). 89.1/218.2=0.41.
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

Made by acetylating natural glycerin with acetic anhydride. Acetic anhydride is conventionally petrochemical-sourced even though bio-based acetic acid exists.

In plain English

A solvent and plasticiser made from glycerin and acetic acid. It helps blend fragrance ingredients, forms flexible films in nail products, and has mild antimicrobial activity.

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Structure

2D structure of Triacetin

2,3-diacetyloxypropyl acetate

PubChem CID 5541 ↗

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. 2Triacetin. PubChem CID 5541. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3TRIACETIN. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4TRIACETIN. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=TRIACETIN