Zinc has a Natural Origin Index (NOI) of 1.00 (scale 0–1) per ISO 16128. Metallic zinc is smelted or electro-refined from mined zinc ores, a mineral feedstock that counts as natural origin under ISO 16128. An NOI of 1.00 means 100% of its molecular mass is traceable to a natural, renewable source.

Is Zinc natural? NOI 1.00 — Is That Natural?

How we scored it

Zn 65.4 Da, metallic element from zinc ore: 65.4 / 65.4 = 1.00.

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 is smelting or electrolytic refining of sphalerite (zinc sulfide) ore, often with recycled zinc. No petrochemical route exists.

In plain English

Metallic zinc, usually as a fine powder, listed with an antioxidant function. It is refined from mined zinc ores or from recycled zinc.

Structure

zinc

PubChem CID 23994 ↗

References

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.
2Zinc. PubChem CID 23994. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
3ZINC. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
4ZINC. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=ZINC