Is Cetyl Alcohol Natural?

Q: Is Cetyl Alcohol natural?

Cetyl Alcohol has a Natural Origin Index (NOI) of 0.50 (scale 0–1) per ISO 16128. Cetyl alcohol can be produced from both petroleum-derived sources (e.g., ethylene) and renewable sources (e.g., fatty acids from plant oils), with both routes having significant… An NOI of 0.50 means 50% of its molecular mass is traceable to a natural, renewable source.

Learn about Cetyl Alcohol — its natural origin index (ISO 16128), feedstock sources, synthesis process, and renewability classification.

0.5

out of 1.0

Natural Origin Index

INCI NameCetyl Alcohol

IUPAC Namehexadecan-1-ol

FormulaC16H34O

PubChem CID2682 ↗

FunctionEmollient · Emulsion Stabilizer

FeedstockThe primary commercial feedstocks for

Chemical Structure

Learn about Cetyl Alcohol — its natural origin index (ISO 16128), feedstock sources, synthesis process, and renewability classification.

View full data on PubChem ↗

Quick Facts

INCI NameCetyl Alcohol
IUPAC Namehexadecan-1-ol
Molecular FormulaC16H34O
PubChem CID2682 ↗
FunctionsEmollientEmulsion StabilizerThickenerEmulsifier
Primary FeedstockThe primary commercial feedstocks for cetyl alcohol are either petrochemical-derived ethylene or fatty acids derived from natural sources like palm kernel oil or coconut oil. While petrochemical routes are common, the significant use of plant-derived fatty acids means it's not exclusively petroleum-based.
NOI Score0.5 / 1.0
TierMostly Renewable

Description

Learn about Cetyl Alcohol — its natural origin index (ISO 16128), feedstock sources, synthesis process, and renewability classification.

References

1ISO 16128-2:2017 — Guidelines on technical definitions and criteria for natural and organic cosmetic ingredients and products — Part 2. ISO, Geneva.
2Cetyl Alcohol. National Center for Biotechnology Information. PubChem CID 2682. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗