Database/Antioxidant/Caffeic Acid
Route-dependent · ISO 16128

Is Caffeic Acid natural?

It depends. Caffeic acid can be extracted from plants or made by microbial bioconversion (natural) or synthesised from petrochemical aromatic feedstocks; market share between routes is unclear.

INCI nameCaffeic Acid
CAS331-39-5
FormulaC9H8O4 · 180.16 Da
FunctionAntioxidant · Fragrance
FeedstockMost cosmetic-grade material is extracted from plants (coffee,…

Why the score varies

This ingredient is made commercially by more than one route, and ISO 16128 scores the feedstock actually used. Without a supplier certificate of origin the value cannot be claimed.

RouteFeedstockNOIShareNotes
plant extraction / microbial bioconversioncoffee, willow bark and other plant sources, or engineered-microbe bioconversion of tyrosine1.00~60%
chemical synthesisPerkin/Knoevenagel condensation from petrochemical catechol derivatives and malonic acid0.00~40%
Ask your supplier. A batch-specific certificate of origin or bio-based carbon test (ASTM D6866) settles which route applies.

How we scored it

Two routes: plant extraction/bioconversion (natural, 1.0) vs Perkin condensation from petrochemical catechol (0.0); dominant route uncertain, so route_dependent rather than averaged.
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

Most cosmetic-grade material is extracted from plants (coffee, willow bark) or made by fermentation/bioconversion. A petrochemical Perkin-condensation synthesis route also exists and may supply some material.

In plain English

A plant antioxidant found in coffee and many fruits and vegetables. Depending on the supplier it may be extracted from plants, made by fermentation, or synthesised chemically, so its natural content varies.

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Structure

2D structure of Caffeic Acid

(E)-3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)prop-2-enoic acid

PubChem CID 689043 ↗

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. 2Caffeic Acid. PubChem CID 689043. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3CAFFEIC ACID. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4CAFFEIC ACID. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=CAFFEIC%20ACID