Database/Light Stabilizer/Ethylhexyl Dimethyl PABA
100% petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Ethylhexyl Dimethyl PABA natural?

No. Both the 2-ethylhexanol and the dimethylaminobenzoic acid portions are manufactured from petrochemical benzene and olefin feedstocks.

INCI nameEthylhexyl Dimethyl PABA
CAS21245-02-3
FormulaC17H27NO2 · 277.4 Da
FunctionLight Stabilizer · Uv Absorber
FeedstockEthylhexyl Dimethyl PABA (Padimate O) is synthesised entirely…

How we scored it

Ester of 2-ethylhexanol (synthetic oxo-alcohol) and dimethyl-PABA (synthetic aromatic amine). Both fragments petrochemical: 0/100=0.00.
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

Ethylhexyl Dimethyl PABA (Padimate O) is synthesised entirely from petrochemical building blocks: 2-ethylhexanol from oxo-synthesis and dimethyl-PABA from petroleum-derived aniline chemistry. No natural-origin production route exists for this UV filter.

In plain English

A sunscreen ingredient, also called Padimate O, that absorbs UVB rays. It is fully man-made from petroleum-based chemicals, with no plant or mineral origin.

CosIng definition: Ethylhexyl Dimethyl PABA is the ester of 2-ethylhexyl alcohol and dimethyl p-aminobenzoic acid. It conforms generally to the formula:

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Structure

2D structure of Ethylhexyl Dimethyl PABA

2-ethylhexyl 4-(dimethylamino)benzoate

PubChem CID 30541 ↗

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. 2Ethylhexyl Dimethyl PABA. PubChem CID 30541. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3ETHYLHEXYL DIMETHYL PABA. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4ETHYLHEXYL DIMETHYL PABA. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=ETHYLHEXYL%20DIMETHYL%20PABA