Database/Antimicrobial/Camphor Benzalkonium Methosulfate
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Camphor Benzalkonium Methosulfate natural?

Mostly. The camphor skeleton derives from pine-tree turpentine (alpha-pinene) and the sulfate ion is mineral; the phenyl ring, trimethylamine and methyl groups are petrochemical.

INCI nameCamphor Benzalkonium Methosulfate
CAS52793-97-2
FormulaC21H31NO5S · 409.5 Da
FunctionAntimicrobial · Antistatic
FeedstockSynthesized from camphor (industrially made from pine turpentine's…

How we scored it

Camphor core C10H14O (150.2, natural, pine turpentine) + SO4 of methosulfate (96.1, natural) = 246.3; bridging CH (13.0) + phenylene C6H4 (76.1) + N(CH3)3 (59.1) + O-methyl (15.0) petrochemical = 163.2; 246.3/409.5 = 0.60
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

Synthesized from camphor (industrially made from pine turpentine's alpha-pinene) condensed with a benzyltrimethylammonium-type reagent and quaternized with dimethyl sulfate. Turpentine is the dominant natural feedstock; the aromatic and amine portions are petrochemical.

In plain English

A UV filter built from camphor, a pine-tree-derived compound, joined to a synthetic ammonium group. Used in sunscreens and other products to absorb UV light.

CosIng definition: Camphor Benzalkonium Methosulfate is the quaternary ammonium compound that conforms to the formula:

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Structure

2D structure of Camphor Benzalkonium Methosulfate

methyl sulfate;trimethyl-[4-[(Z)-(4,7,7-trimethyl-3-oxo-2-bicyclo[2.2.1]heptanylidene)methyl]phenyl]azanium

PubChem CID 24968335 ↗

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. 2Camphor Benzalkonium Methosulfate. PubChem CID 24968335. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3CAMPHOR BENZALKONIUM METHOSULFATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4CAMPHOR BENZALKONIUM METHOSULFATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=CAMPHOR%20BENZALKONIUM%20METHOSULFATE