Guanine

Guanine (CAS 73-40-5), also known commercially as Pearl Essence and Natural White 1, is a naturally occurring purine base sourced primarily from fish scales. It is used across cosmetics, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical applications. Its crystalline platelet structure produces a distinctive iridescent optical effect, making it a sought-after ingredient in pearlescent formulations. In life sciences, it functions as a biochemical reference material and nucleotide synthesis building block.

In personal care manufacturing, guanine is incorporated into nail polishes, lipsticks, eyeshadows, and shampoos to deliver pearl-like shimmer and light diffusion. Cosmetic formulators value it as a natural-origin alternative to synthetic mica. In pharmaceutical and biotechnology research, it serves as a precursor and reference standard in nucleoside and nucleotide synthesis workflows. Diagnostic reagent producers also source it as a high-purity analytical standard for assay development.

Guanine is supplied as a fine crystalline powder, typically in natural or synthetic origin grades depending on the application. Cosmetic-grade material is available to meet INCI-compliant formulation requirements for global distribution. Pharmaceutical and biotech buyers source USP or research-grade specifications with defined purity thresholds. Packaging ranges from small laboratory quantities to bulk industrial volumes to meet diverse manufacturing needs.