Database/Buffering/Tromethamine
100% petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Tromethamine natural?

No. Wholly synthetic buffering agent made from nitromethane and formaldehyde, both petrochemical reagents; no natural-origin production route.

INCI nameTromethamine
CAS77-86-1
FormulaC4H11NO3 · 121.14 Da
FunctionBuffering · Fragrance
FeedstockTromethamine is manufactured by condensing nitromethane with formaldehyde…

How we scored it

Synthetic amino-triol made by nitroaldol condensation of nitromethane with formaldehyde, then reduction of the nitro group; both feedstocks petrochemical, no natural fragment. 0.0.
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.

How it’s made

Henry (nitroaldol) addition of nitromethane to formaldehyde (first of three), then nitro reduction. The film draws the key step and names the steps after it. Each curved arrow moves one electron pair, and the film ends on the score above.

Where it comes from

Tromethamine is manufactured by condensing nitromethane with formaldehyde and reducing the product, both petrochemical-derived reagents. No natural-origin commercial route exists.

In plain English

A synthetic buffering compound manufactured from petrochemical starting materials. Used in small amounts to stabilise the pH of cosmetic formulas.

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Structure

2D structure of Tromethamine

2-amino-2-(hydroxymethyl)propane-1,3-diol

PubChem CID 6503 ↗

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. 2Tromethamine. PubChem CID 6503. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3TROMETHAMINE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4TROMETHAMINE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=TROMETHAMINE