Database/Emollient/C18-36 Acid Glycol Ester
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is C18-36 Acid Glycol Ester natural?

Mostly. The long fatty-acid chains dominate the molecule's mass and are natural, while the small ethylene-glycol linker is petrochemical.

INCI nameC18-36 Acid Glycol Ester
CAS94944-95-3
FunctionEmollient · Emulsifying Surfactant
FeedstockMade by esterifying a blend of long-chain (often…

How we scored it

Modelled as diester: 2x C18 fatty acid (natural, 534.9 Da) + ethylene glycol bridge (petrochemical, 60.05 Da) -> 534.9/595.0=0.90; longer C18-36 chains in the blend would score similarly or higher.
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

Made by esterifying a blend of long-chain (often dimerised) vegetable-oil fatty acids with petrochemical ethylene glycol. The fatty-acid portion is the major share of the molecule's mass.

In plain English

A waxy conditioning ingredient made from plant fatty acids joined to a small synthetic glycol. It's used in creams and cleansers to soften skin and thicken formulas.

CosIng definition: Fatty acids, C18-36, esters with ethylene glycol

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. 2C18-36 ACID GLYCOL ESTER. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3C18-36 ACID GLYCOL ESTER. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=C18-36%20ACID%20GLYCOL%20ESTER