Database/Fragrance/Citronellyl Acetate
Route-dependent · ISO 16128

Is Citronellyl Acetate natural?

It depends. The previous table had only the fully natural and fully synthetic ends. Citronellol is itself route-dependent on this site, so the middle case, where a natural or turpentine-derived alcohol is capped with a petrochemical acetyl group, needs its own value.

INCI nameCitronellyl Acetate
CAS150-84-5
FormulaC12H22O2 · 198.30 Da
FunctionFragrance
FeedstockNatural material is fractionally distilled from citronella or…

Why the score varies

This ingredient is made commercially by more than one route, and ISO 16128 scores the feedstock actually used. Without a supplier certificate of origin the value cannot be claimed.

RouteFeedstockNOIShareNotes
essential-oil isolationcitronella or rose oil, fractionally distilled1.00~30%
natural or turpentine-derived citronellol acetylated with petrochemical acetic anhydridecitronella oil or turpentine myrcene citronellol; acetic anhydride0.78~35%only the 43.04 Da acetyl cap is petrochemical
petrochemical citronellol acetylated with acetic anhydridesynthetic citral route citronellol; acetic anhydride0.00~35%
Ask your supplier. A batch-specific certificate of origin or bio-based carbon test (ASTM D6866) settles which route applies.

How we scored it

Citronellyl acetate is C12H22O2, 198.31 Da: the citronellyl fragment C10H19O is 155.26 Da and the acetyl cap C2H3O is 43.04 Da. Material distilled from citronella or rose oil is a whole natural molecule, 1.00. Citronellol from citronella oil or turpentine, acetylated with petrochemical acetic anhydride, gives 155.26/198.31 = 0.78. Citronellol built from petrochemical citral gives 0.00.
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.

How it’s made

Acetylation of citronellol with acetic anhydride. Each curved arrow moves one electron pair, and the film ends on the score above.

Where it comes from

Natural material is fractionally distilled from citronella or rose oil. The rest is made by acetylating citronellol with acetic anhydride; that citronellol comes either from citronella oil or turpentine-derived myrcene, or from citral built from petrochemical feedstocks.

In plain English

A rose- and citrus-scented fragrance ingredient. It occurs naturally in citronella and rose oils, but much of the commercial supply is manufactured synthetically.

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Structure

2D structure of Citronellyl Acetate

3,7-dimethyloct-6-enyl acetate

PubChem CID 9017 ↗

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. 2Citronellyl Acetate. PubChem CID 9017. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3CITRONELLYL ACETATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4CITRONELLYL ACETATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=CITRONELLYL%20ACETATE