Database/Antioxidant/BHT
100% petroleum · ISO 16128

Is BHT natural?

No. A synthetic antioxidant manufactured from petrochemical p-cresol and isobutylene.

INCI nameBHT
CAS128-37-0
FormulaC15H24O · 220.35 Da
FunctionAntioxidant · Fragrance
FeedstockProduced by reacting p-cresol with isobutylene, both petrochemical…

How we scored it

Substituted toluene, explicitly petrochemical (from p-cresol + isobutylene); 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

Friedel–Crafts alkylation (acid), twice. Each curved arrow moves one electron pair, and the film ends on the score above.

Where it comes from

Produced by reacting p-cresol with isobutylene, both petrochemical feedstocks, in an acid-catalyzed alkylation. There is no natural-sourced alternative in commercial use.

In plain English

A synthetic antioxidant made from petrochemical feedstock. Protects oils and fragrance in a formula from breaking down through exposure to air.

CosIng definition: BHT is a substituted toluene that conforms to the formula:

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Structure

2D structure of BHT

2,6-ditert-butyl-4-methylphenol

PubChem CID 31404 ↗

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. 2BHT. PubChem CID 31404. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3BHT. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4BHT. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=BHT