Database/Emollient/C12-15 Alkyl Lactate
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is C12-15 Alkyl Lactate natural?

Mostly not. Only the lactic-acid part is natural origin; the C12–15 alcohol blend is a petrochemical oxo product, as the odd-numbered chains show.

INCI nameC12-15 Alkyl Lactate
CAS93925-36-1
FormulaC15H30O3 · 258.40 Da
FunctionEmollient · Skin Conditioning
FeedstockFermentation lactic acid esterified with synthetic C12–15 oxo…

How we scored it

Lactyl fragment C3H5O2 73 Da (fermentation lactic acid, natural); C12–C15 alkyl fragment ≈197 Da average from oxo-process alcohols — odd carbon numbers C13/C15 do not occur in vegetable oils, so the chain is petrochemical → 73 / 270 = 0.27.
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

Fermentation lactic acid esterified with synthetic C12–15 oxo alcohols. A coconut C12–14 grade would score about 0.9; confirm with the supplier.

In plain English

An emollient ester that softens and smooths skin, made by combining a fermentation-derived fruit acid (lactic acid) with plant-based fatty alcohols.

CosIng definition: Propanoic acid, 2-hydroxy-, C12-15-alkyl esters

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Structure

2D structure of C12-15 Alkyl Lactate

dodecyl 2-hydroxypropanoate

PubChem CID 22692 ↗

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. 2C12-15 Alkyl Lactate. PubChem CID 22692. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3C12-15 ALKYL LACTATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4C12-15 ALKYL LACTATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=C12-15%20ALKYL%20LACTATE