Database/Perfuming/Carvacrol
Route-dependent · ISO 16128

Is Carvacrol natural?

It depends. Carvacrol is usually isolated from oregano or thyme oil; when made from p-cymene it is natural origin if the p-cymene comes from citrus or pine terpenes and petrochemical if it comes from toluene.

INCI nameCarvacrol
CAS499-75-2
FunctionPerfuming
FeedstockCosmetic-grade carvacrol is usually extracted from oregano or…

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
oregano/thyme oil extractionOriganum/Thymus essential oil, natural1.00~60%
From terpene p-cymenep-cymene made from limonene or turpentine terpenes, sulfonated and fused with alkali1.00part of ~40%
From petrochemical p-cymenep-cymene from toluene and propylene0.00part of ~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

Natural route: isolated from oregano/thyme oil, 1.00. p-Cymene route: 1.00 when the p-cymene is made from limonene or turpentine (the added oxygen comes from mineral sulfuric acid and alkali), 0.00 when it is made from toluene and propylene.
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

Cosmetic-grade carvacrol is usually extracted from oregano or thyme essential oil. Industrial grades can be made from p-cymene, which is itself made either from terpenes (limonene, turpentine) or from petrochemical toluene and propylene.

In plain English

A pungent, oregano-scented compound used in fragrances and as a natural preservative booster. Usually extracted from oregano or thyme essential oil, though it can also be synthesized.

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Structure

2D structure of Carvacrol

PubChem CID 10364 ↗

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. 2Carvacrol. PubChem CID 10364. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3CARVACROL. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4CARVACROL. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=CARVACROL