Database/Emollient/Diethyl Adipate
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Diethyl Adipate natural?

Mostly not. Adipic acid's dominant route is petrochemical cyclohexane oxidation; only the bioethanol-derived ethyl groups count as natural.

INCI nameDiethyl Adipate
CAS141-28-6
FormulaC10H18O4 · 202.25 Da
FunctionEmollient · Fragrance
FeedstockDiethyl adipate is the diethyl ester of adipic…

How we scored it

Adipic acid C6H10O4 (146.1 Da, petrochemical, minus 2 OH = 112.1 Da acyl core) + 2 ethanol (2×45.1=90.1 Da as OEt, fermentation, natural) = 202.25 Da; 90.1/202.25 = 0.45
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

Diethyl adipate is the diethyl ester of adipic acid, industrially produced by nitric-acid oxidation of petrochemical cyclohexane, reacted with ethanol (commonly bioethanol). A minor bio-based adipic acid fermentation route exists but is not dominant.

In plain English

A fragrance solvent and emollient made from adipic acid, mostly petrochemical, combined with ethanol, which is often derived from fermented sugars.

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Structure

2D structure of Diethyl Adipate

diethyl hexanedioate

PubChem CID 8844 ↗

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. 2Diethyl Adipate. PubChem CID 8844. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3DIETHYL ADIPATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4DIETHYL ADIPATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=DIETHYL%20ADIPATE