How we scored it
Cetyl alcohol (C16, natural fatty alcohol) esterified with myristic acid (C14, natural fatty acid); both fragments natural = 1.0.
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
Made by esterifying cetyl alcohol and myristic acid, both typically from coconut or palm kernel oil. A minority petrochemical Ziegler/oxo route to cetyl alcohol exists, so a supplier check is advisable.
In plain English
A silky, wax-like emollient made from two coconut or palm-derived fatty ingredients, used to soften and smooth skin in creams and lotions.
Structure
hexadecyl tetradecanoate
References
- 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.
- 2Cetyl Myristate. PubChem CID 75779. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
- 3CETYL MYRISTATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
- 4CETYL MYRISTATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=CETYL%20MYRISTATE