Database/Fragrance/Dibutyl Phthalate
100% petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Dibutyl Phthalate natural?

No. Both the phthalic acid and butanol halves derive from petroleum-refinery aromatics and synthetic alcohols.

INCI nameDibutyl Phthalate
CAS84-74-2
FormulaC16H22O4 · 278.34 Da
FunctionFragrance · Plasticiser
FeedstockProduced industrially by esterifying phthalic anhydride (from benzene/o-xylene)…

How we scored it

Ester of phthalic acid (from benzene oxidation) and n-butanol (synthetic alcohol); both fragments petrochemical → 0/278 = 0.0.
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

Produced industrially by esterifying phthalic anhydride (from benzene/o-xylene) with butanol, both petroleum refinery products. No natural route exists.

In plain English

A plasticiser and fragrance solvent made from petroleum-derived butanol and phthalic acid. It's a fully synthetic industrial chemical with no natural counterpart.

Natural alternatives with the same function

Structure

2D structure of Dibutyl Phthalate

dibutyl benzene-1,2-dicarboxylate

PubChem CID 3026 ↗

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 Phthalate. PubChem CID 3026. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3DIBUTYL PHTHALATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4DIBUTYL PHTHALATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=DIBUTYL%20PHTHALATE