Database/Bulking/Zinc Borosilicate
100% natural origin · ISO 16128

Is Zinc Borosilicate natural?

Yes. Silica sand, boron minerals such as borax, soda and zinc oxide are all mineral raw materials, which counts as natural origin even though the glass is made by high-temperature fusion.

INCI nameZinc Borosilicate
CAS37341-47-2
FunctionBulking
FeedstockDominant route: fusion of silica sand with a…

How we scored it

Amorphous glass of SiO2, B2O3, Na2O and ZnO: silica, borax-derived boron oxide, sodium and zinc oxides are all mineral; no organic atoms; mineral fraction 1.0.
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.

Where it comes from

Dominant route: fusion of silica sand with a borate mineral, sodium carbonate and zinc oxide in a furnace, followed by milling to powder. No alternative route; the exact composition varies by grade.

In plain English

A glass powder formed by fusing silica with boron oxide, sodium oxide and zinc oxide, used to add bulk to products. It is entirely inorganic and made from mineral raw materials.

CosIng definition: Glass, borosilicate, an amorphous substance of imprecise composition formed by the fusion of silica in the presence of significant levels of boron oxide, sodium oxide and zinc oxide

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. 2ZINC BOROSILICATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3ZINC BOROSILICATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=ZINC%20BOROSILICATE