Database/Film Forming/Cellulose Acetate Phthalate
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Cellulose Acetate Phthalate natural?

Mostly not. Natural cellulose backbone esterified with petrochemical acetyl caps and phthalate groups; roughly 45% of the mass is cellulose.

INCI nameCellulose Acetate Phthalate
FunctionFilm Forming
FeedstockMade by reacting cellulose acetate, from wood or…

How we scored it

Disaccharide cellulose backbone ~324 Da natural; acetyl + phthalate ester substituents ~399 Da petrochemical (acetic/phthalic anhydride) → 324/723 ≈ 0.45.
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

Made by reacting cellulose acetate, from wood or cotton cellulose, with petrochemical phthalic anhydride. Acetyl and phthalate content vary by commercial grade, shifting the exact NOI.

In plain English

A film-forming polymer used as a coating agent, made by chemically modifying plant cellulose with acetic acid and phthalic acid groups. Part plant-derived, part synthetic.

CosIng definition: Cellulose Acetate Phthalate is the product obtained by the reaction of phthalic anhydride with Cellulose Acetate.

Natural alternatives with the same function

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 Albumen 100% natural origin

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 Amorphophallus Konjac Root Extract 100% natural origin

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 Astragalus Gummifer Gum 100% natural origin

A natural plant gum, known as tragacanth, harvested from a Middle Eastern shrub. Used as a thickener and…

 Aureobasidium Pullulans Ferment Extract 100% natural origin

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