Database/Antistatic/Tryptophan
100% natural origin · ISO 16128

Is Tryptophan natural?

Yes. Essential amino acid made by microbial fermentation of plant sugars; entirely natural feedstock.

INCI nameTryptophan
CAS54-12-6
FormulaC11H12N2O2 · 204.22 Da
FunctionAntistatic · Hair Conditioning
FeedstockCommercial L-tryptophan is produced by fermenting glucose from…

How we scored it

Whole amino acid molecule C11H12N2O2; fermentation-derived, no fragmentation needed.
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

Commercial L-tryptophan is produced by fermenting glucose from corn or other starch crops with engineered bacteria. No significant petrochemical synthesis route is used for the cosmetic-grade amino acid.

In plain English

An amino acid made by fermenting plant sugars with bacteria, much like brewing or yogurt-making. It conditions hair and skin and can add a mild fragrance note.

Structure

2D structure of Tryptophan

(2S)-2-amino-3-(1H-indol-3-yl)propanoic acid

PubChem CID 6305 ↗

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. 2Tryptophan. PubChem CID 6305. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3TRYPTOPHAN. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4TRYPTOPHAN. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=TRYPTOPHAN