Database/Emollient/Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate natural?

Mostly. Caprylic and capric acids are coconut-derived; the butylene glycol backbone is predominantly made from petrochemical acetaldehyde.

INCI nameButylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
FunctionEmollient · Skin Conditioning
FeedstockCoconut or palm-kernel caprylic and capric acids are…

How we scored it

Butylene glycol C4H8O2 88Da (petrochemical, ex-acetaldehyde) + caprylic C8H15O 127Da + capric C10H19O 155Da (both natural, coconut) = 282/370 = 0.76
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

Coconut or palm-kernel caprylic and capric acids are esterified with 1,3-butylene glycol, which is manufactured mainly from petrochemical acetaldehyde; a minor bio-fermentation glycol route also exists.

In plain English

A lightweight, silky emollient oil that softens and smooths skin without feeling greasy. It's made by combining coconut-derived fatty acids with a small, mostly synthetic glycol molecule to form a liquid ester used in lotions and creams.

CosIng definition: 1,2-Butanediol, diesters with octanoic and decanoic acids

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