Database/Absorbent/Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate natural?

Mostly. Natural starch esterified with a small amount of petrochemical octenylsuccinic anhydride and aluminum-salted; starch mass dominates.

INCI nameAluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
CAS9087-61-0
FunctionAbsorbent · Anticaking
FeedstockMade from corn, potato or tapioca starch reacted…

How we scored it

Starch backbone ~97% w/w natural; octenylsuccinate ester ~3% w/w petrochemical (1-octene+maleic anhydride, regulatory max substitution level); 97/100=0.97.
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

Made from corn, potato or tapioca starch reacted with octenyl succinic anhydride (from petrochemical 1-octene and maleic anhydride) at a low substitution level, then partially neutralized with aluminum. The starch backbone supplies almost all the molecule's mass.

In plain English

A modified corn, potato or tapioca starch treated with a small amount of octenyl succinic acid and aluminum. Helps powders resist clumping and absorbs excess oil in formulas.

CosIng definition: Starch, hydrogen octenylbutanedionate, aluminum salt

Natural alternatives with the same function

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. 2ALUMINUM STARCH OCTENYLSUCCINATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3ALUMINUM STARCH OCTENYLSUCCINATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=ALUMINUM%20STARCH%20OCTENYLSUCCINATE