Database/Uv Absorber/3-Benzylidene Camphor
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is 3-Benzylidene Camphor natural?

Mostly. The camphor part is made from α-pinene in pine turpentine, a natural terpene feedstock; the benzylidene part comes from petrochemical benzaldehyde.

INCI name3-Benzylidene Camphor
CAS15087-24-8
FormulaC17H20O · 240.34 Da
FunctionUv Absorber
FeedstockCamphor, made from α-pinene in pine turpentine, is…

How we scored it

Camphor part C10H14O 150.22 Da (camphor made from α-pinene in pine turpentine, natural) + benzylidene part C7H6 90.13 Da (from petrochemical benzaldehyde); the condensation water leaves: 150.22/240.35 = 0.63.
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

Camphor, made from α-pinene in pine turpentine, is condensed with benzaldehyde from petrochemical toluene to build the UV-absorbing chromophore. Natural camphor from camphor-tree wood would give the same value.

In plain English

A UV filter that absorbs UVB light, used in sunscreens. It joins pine-derived camphor to a petroleum-derived aromatic ring, so it is partly natural origin.

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Structure

2D structure of 3-Benzylidene Camphor

(3E)-3-benzylidene-1,7,7-trimethylbicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-one

PubChem CID 5901612 ↗

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. 23-Benzylidene Camphor. PubChem CID 5901612. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 33-BENZYLIDENE CAMPHOR. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 43-BENZYLIDENE CAMPHOR. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=3-BENZYLIDENE%20CAMPHOR