Database/Emollient/Dibutyl Adipate
100% petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Dibutyl Adipate natural?

No. Adipic acid is made from petrochemical cyclohexane and butanol is listed as a synthetic alcohol.

INCI nameDibutyl Adipate
CAS105-99-7
FormulaC14H26O4 · 258.35 Da
FunctionEmollient · Film Forming
FeedstockDiester of adipic acid, conventionally made by oxidising…

How we scored it

Adipic acid (benzene/cyclohexane-derived, petrochemical) diesterified with 2x n-butanol (petrochemical per this site's convention). No natural fragment.
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

Diester of adipic acid, conventionally made by oxidising petrochemical cyclohexane, with n-butanol. Bio-based routes for both exist but are not yet the dominant commercial supply.

In plain English

A lightweight solvent and emollient made from two synthetic petrochemical building blocks, adipic acid and butanol. It helps films stay flexible and gives products a smooth, silky spread.

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Structure

2D structure of Dibutyl Adipate

dibutyl hexanedioate

PubChem CID 7784 ↗

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. 2Dibutyl Adipate. PubChem CID 7784. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3DIBUTYL ADIPATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4DIBUTYL ADIPATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=DIBUTYL%20ADIPATE