Database/Cleansing/Caprylyl Pyrrolidone
Route-dependent · ISO 16128

Is Caprylyl Pyrrolidone natural?

It depends. The ring comes from petrochemical gamma-butyrolactone and ammonia, while the octyl chain is natural when made from coconut caprylic acid and petrochemical when made from synthetic octanol or octene.

INCI nameCaprylyl Pyrrolidone
CAS2687-94-7
FunctionCleansing · Foaming
FeedstockDominant route is presumed to react oleochemical n-octylamine…

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
Octylamine from coconut or palm kernel caprylic acid via nitrile, condensed with butyrolactoneC8 chain oleochemical; ring and nitrogen petrochemical0.57est. 55%, presumed dominant
Octylamine from synthetic n-octanol or octene, condensed with butyrolactonefully petrochemical0.00est. 45%
Ask your supplier. A batch-specific certificate of origin or bio-based carbon test (ASTM D6866) settles which route applies.

How we scored it

C12H23NO = 197.3 Da. Octyl C8H17 113.2 natural only if from coconut caprylic acid (113.2/197.3 = 0.57); ring C4H6NO 84.1 from petrochemical butyrolactone and ammonia; petrochemical octyl gives 0.0.
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

Dominant route is presumed to react oleochemical n-octylamine (coconut or palm kernel caprylic acid via the nitrile) with butyrolactone, but this is uncertain. Petrochemical octylamine from synthetic octanol is a significant alternative.

In plain English

A cleansing, foaming and conditioning surfactant: a small ring-shaped amide (pyrrolidone) carrying an eight-carbon chain. The ring is built from petrochemical butyrolactone and the chain from octylamine, made from coconut caprylic acid or from petrochemicals.

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