Database/Emulsifying Surfactant/Cetyl Phosphate
100% natural origin · ISO 16128

Is Cetyl Phosphate natural?

Yes. Fatty alcohol from oleochemical (coconut/palm) feedstock esterified with mineral-derived phosphate; both fragments count as natural origin.

INCI nameCetyl Phosphate
CAS3539-43-3
FormulaC16H35O4P · 322.42 Da
FunctionEmulsifying Surfactant · Cleansing Surfactant
FeedstockCetyl phosphate is made by esterifying cetyl (C16)…

How we scored it

Cetyl alcohol (C16 oleochemical fatty alcohol, natural) esterified with phosphoric acid (mineral phosphate, natural); 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

Cetyl phosphate is made by esterifying cetyl (C16) fatty alcohol, typically from coconut or palm oil, with mineral phosphoric acid. A minority of cetyl alcohol supply is petrochemical (Ziegler/oxo process).

In plain English

An emulsifier and thickener that helps stabilize creams and lotions. It's made from a coconut- or palm-derived fatty alcohol combined with mineral phosphate.

Structure

2D structure of Cetyl Phosphate

hexadecyl dihydrogen phosphate

PubChem CID 19059 ↗

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. 2Cetyl Phosphate. PubChem CID 19059. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3CETYL PHOSPHATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4CETYL PHOSPHATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=CETYL%20PHOSPHATE