How we scored it
Cholesterol C27H46O (386.65, natural sterol) + nonanoic acid C9H18O2 (158.24, natural fatty acid) - H2O (18) = 526.9 (matches given MW). All natural.
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 cholesterol, typically from lanolin (wool grease) or other animal sources, with nonanoic (pelargonic) acid. Both fragments are conventionally sourced as natural/oleochemical.
In plain English
An emollient made by combining cholesterol, an animal-derived sterol, with a plant or animal-derived fatty acid. Gives creams and lotions a smooth, skin-like feel.
Structure
[(3S,8S,9S,10R,13R,14S,17R)-10,13-dimethyl-17-[(2R)-6-methylheptan-2-yl]-2,3,4,7,8,9,11,12,14,15,16,17-dodecahydro-1H-cyclopenta[a]phenanthren-3-yl] nonanoate
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.
- 2Cholesteryl Nonanoate. PubChem CID 2723614. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
- 3CHOLESTERYL NONANOATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
- 4CHOLESTERYL NONANOATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=CHOLESTERYL%20NONANOATE