How we scored it
Cetyl alcohol (C16, oleochemical) 242.4 Da + oleic acid (C18:1, oleochemical) 282.5 Da − H2O 18.0 Da = 506.9 Da, all-natural fragments → 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 with oleic acid, both typically sourced from vegetable oils. A minor petrochemical Ziegler-alcohol route for cetyl alcohol exists as a supplier variant.
In plain English
An emollient wax ester made from a fatty alcohol and oleic acid, both usually derived from vegetable oils like palm or olive. It softens and smooths skin in creams and lotions.
Structure
hexadecyl (Z)-octadec-9-enoate
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 Oleate. PubChem CID 5377655. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
- 3CETYL OLEATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
- 4CETYL OLEATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=CETYL%20OLEATE