Database/Emollient/Dibutyl Sebacate
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Dibutyl Sebacate natural?

Mostly. The sebacic acid backbone is castor-oil derived and natural, but both esterifying butanol groups are petrochemical.

INCI nameDibutyl Sebacate
CAS109-43-3
FormulaC18H34O4 · 314.5 Da
FunctionEmollient · Film Forming
FeedstockSebacic acid from castor oil is esterified with…

How we scored it

Sebacic acid (castor oil, natural) diacyl fragment 168 Da + 2x butanol-derived fragment (synthetic, 73 Da each = 146 Da) -> 168/314 = 0.53.
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

Sebacic acid from castor oil is esterified with n-butanol, an oxo-process petrochemical alcohol. No natural-origin route exists for the butanol portion.

In plain English

An emollient, plasticiser and fragrance ingredient made from sebacic acid, derived from castor oil, esterified with butanol. The acid portion is plant-derived; the butanol is typically petrochemical.

Natural alternatives with the same function

Structure

2D structure of Dibutyl Sebacate

dibutyl decanedioate

PubChem CID 7986 ↗

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 Sebacate. PubChem CID 7986. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3DIBUTYL SEBACATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4DIBUTYL SEBACATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=DIBUTYL%20SEBACATE