Database/Antistatic/Benzyl Nicotinate
100% petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Benzyl Nicotinate natural?

No. Benzyl alcohol is explicitly petrochemical; nicotinate is industrially made from petrochemical 3-picoline/3-cyanopyridine, not extracted as a natural vitamin.

INCI nameBenzyl Nicotinate
CAS94-44-0
FormulaC13H11NO2 · 213.23 Da
FunctionAntistatic · Skin Conditioning
FeedstockManufactured by esterifying benzyl alcohol (petrochemical) with nicotinic…

How we scored it

Benzyl group C7H7 (petrochemical) + pyridine-3-carboxylate from 3-cyanopyridine (petrochemical, Niacinamide precedent) = 0/213.2 = 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

Manufactured by esterifying benzyl alcohol (petrochemical) with nicotinic acid, which is produced industrially from petrochemical 3-cyanopyridine or 3-picoline rather than extracted from natural sources. No significant natural route exists for cosmetic-grade material.

In plain English

A manufactured ingredient combining benzyl alcohol with nicotinic acid, a vitamin B3-related compound. Used in small amounts in hair and skin products to help reduce static and improve skin feel.

Natural alternatives with the same function

Structure

2D structure of Benzyl Nicotinate

benzyl pyridine-3-carboxylate

PubChem CID 7191 ↗

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. 2Benzyl Nicotinate. PubChem CID 7191. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3BENZYL NICOTINATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4BENZYL NICOTINATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=BENZYL%20NICOTINATE