Database/Hair Conditioning/Caprooyl Sphingosine
Route-dependent · ISO 16128

Is Caprooyl Sphingosine natural?

It depends. Sphingosine is a yeast-fermentation sphingoid base and counts as natural; the caproyl chain is natural from the coconut or palm-kernel C6 cut but petrochemical when made by 1-pentene oxo chemistry.

INCI nameCaprooyl Sphingosine
CAS124753-97-5
FormulaC24H47NO3 · 397.6 Da
FunctionHair Conditioning · Skin Conditioning
FeedstockA sphingoid base from yeast fermentation is N-acylated…

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
Natural C6 acidCoconut or palm-kernel caproic acid, or fermentation-derived hexanoic acid1.00~35% (minor)
Oxo hexanoic acidPetrochemical 1-pentene hydroformylation0.75~65% (dominant)
Ask your supplier. A batch-specific certificate of origin or bio-based carbon test (ASTM D6866) settles which route applies.

How we scored it

C24H47NO3 397.6: sphingosine residue C18H36NO2 298.5 (yeast fermentation, natural) + caproyl C6H11O 99.2. Natural caproic acid: 397.6/397.6 = 1.00; oxo hexanoic acid: 298.5/397.6 = 0.75.
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

A sphingoid base from yeast fermentation is N-acylated with hexanoic acid. Hexanoic acid is either a minor coconut or palm-kernel fraction or, more commonly, oxo-synthesised from petrochemical 1-pentene.

In plain English

A skin-type lipid made by joining caproic acid (a six-carbon fatty acid) to sphingosine, a building block of the skin's barrier fats. It is used to condition skin and hair. Sphingosine usually comes from yeast fermentation; caproic acid from coconut or palm kernel oil, or from petrochemical oxo synthesis.

CosIng definition: Caprooyl Sphingosine is the product obtained by the reaction of Caproic Acid and Sphingosine

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Structure

2D structure of Caprooyl Sphingosine

N-[(E,2S,3R)-1,3-dihydroxyoctadec-4-en-2-yl]hexanamide

PubChem CID 5702613 ↗

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. 2Caprooyl Sphingosine. PubChem CID 5702613. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3CAPROOYL SPHINGOSINE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4CAPROOYL SPHINGOSINE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=CAPROOYL%20SPHINGOSINE