Is Benzyl Benzoate natural? NOI 0.00

Q: Is Benzyl Benzoate natural?

Benzyl Benzoate has a Natural Origin Index (NOI) of 0.00 (scale 0–1) per ISO 16128. Both the acid and alcohol halves are petrochemical aromatics conventionally derived from toluene. An NOI of 0.00 means 0% of its molecular mass is traceable to a natural, renewable source.

How we scored it

Ester of benzoic acid + benzyl alcohol, both explicit petrochemical aromatics -> 0/total = 0.0.

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

Tishchenko reaction (alkoxide addition, hydride shift). Each curved arrow moves one electron pair, and the film ends on the score above.

Where it comes from

Industrially esterified from benzoic acid and benzyl alcohol, both made from petrochemical toluene. Trace natural occurrence in balsams is not commercially significant supply.

In plain English

A synthetic ester used as a fragrance ingredient and solvent. It is made industrially from benzoic acid and benzyl alcohol, both derived from petrochemical feedstocks, though it occurs in trace amounts in some plant balsams.

Structure

benzyl benzoate

PubChem CID 2345 ↗

References

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.
2Benzyl Benzoate. PubChem CID 2345. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
3BENZYL BENZOATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
4Benzyl benzoate. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=Benzyl%20benzoate