Database/Emollient/Glyceryl Oleate
100% natural origin · ISO 16128

Is Glyceryl Oleate natural?

Yes. Both glycerin and oleic acid are natural, plant-oil-derived fragments joined by an ester bond.

INCI nameGlyceryl Oleate
CAS25496-72-4
FormulaC21H40O4 · 356.5 Da
FunctionEmollient · Emulsifying Surfactant
FeedstockMade by esterifying glycerin with oleic acid from…

How we scored it

Glycerin (natural) + oleic acid (natural vegetable-oil fatty acid) esterified, losing only water -> 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.

How it’s made

Fischer esterification of glycerol's primary OH with oleic acid. Each curved arrow moves one electron pair, and the film ends on the score above.

Where it comes from

Made by esterifying glycerin with oleic acid from vegetable oils such as olive, sunflower or soybean. Both raw materials are plant-derived.

In plain English

An emollient and emulsifier used to soften skin and help blend formulas. It's made from glycerin and oleic acid, a fatty acid found in olive, sunflower and other vegetable oils.

Structure

2D structure of Glyceryl Oleate

2,3-dihydroxypropyl (Z)-octadec-9-enoate

PubChem CID 5283468 ↗

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. 2Glyceryl Oleate. PubChem CID 5283468. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3GLYCERYL OLEATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4GLYCERYL OLEATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=GLYCERYL%20OLEATE