Database/Buffering/Triisopropanolamine
100% petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Triisopropanolamine natural?

No. Made entirely from propylene oxide and ammonia, both petrochemical feedstocks; no natural fragment is present.

INCI nameTriisopropanolamine
CAS122-20-3
FormulaC9H21NO3 · 191.27 Da
FunctionBuffering
FeedstockManufactured by reacting propylene oxide with ammonia to…

How we scored it

Three hydroxypropyl groups on ammonia, all from propylene oxide; petrochemical, the propylene-oxide analog of the explicitly-listed triethanolamine.
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 propylene oxide with ammonia to add three hydroxypropyl groups. Structurally the propylene-oxide analog of triethanolamine, which this site's method treats as petrochemical.

In plain English

A synthetic pH-buffering ingredient made entirely from petroleum-derived propylene oxide and ammonia. Helps keep a formula's acidity in the right range.

Natural alternatives with the same function

Alstonia Scholaris Bark Extract 100% natural origin

An extract of the bark of Alstonia scholaris, a tropical evergreen tree, made by soaking the bark in…

 Aluminum Lactate 100% natural origin

Aluminum lactate is a mineral salt of lactic acid, used in deodorants for its astringent, sweat-reducing properties and…

 Babassu Acid 100% natural origin

A blend of fatty acids from babassu palm seed oil, used to cleanse and help stabilise the texture…

 Bismuth Citrate 100% natural origin

A salt formed from bismuth metal and citric acid, a natural fermentation-derived fruit acid, used to buffer, chelate…

 Boric Acid 100% natural origin

A mild mineral acid mined from natural borate deposits or brine. Used in small amounts to buffer pH,…

 Calcium Carbonate 100% natural origin

A finely ground mineral powder from limestone or chalk. Bulks out powders and pastes, acts as a mild…

Structure

2D structure of Triisopropanolamine

1-[bis(2-hydroxypropyl)amino]propan-2-ol

PubChem CID 24730 ↗

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. 2Triisopropanolamine. PubChem CID 24730. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3TRIISOPROPANOLAMINE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4TRIISOPROPANOLAMINE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=TRIISOPROPANOLAMINE