Database/Emollient/Diethylhexyl Carbonate
100% petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Diethylhexyl Carbonate natural?

No. Both 2-ethylhexanol arms and the carbonate carbon are petrochemical, from propylene-derived oxo-alcohol and phosgene/CO chemistry.

INCI nameDiethylhexyl Carbonate
CAS14858-73-2
FormulaC17H34O3 · 286.4 Da
FunctionEmollient · Skin Conditioning
FeedstockDiethylhexyl Carbonate is made by reacting petrochemical 2-ethylhexanol…

How we scored it

Bis(2-ethylhexyl) carbonate; 2-ethylhexanol is petrochemical; carbonate carbon from phosgene/CO chemistry; no natural fragment; 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.

Where it comes from

Diethylhexyl Carbonate is made by reacting petrochemical 2-ethylhexanol (an oxo-process alcohol from propylene) with a carbonate source such as phosgene or dimethyl carbonate. No natural-feedstock route is used commercially.

In plain English

A light, quick-absorbing emollient that gives skincare a silky, non-oily finish. Both building blocks, an oxo-process alcohol and a carbonate linker, are manufactured from petrochemical feedstocks.

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Structure

2D structure of Diethylhexyl Carbonate

bis(2-ethylhexyl) carbonate

PubChem CID 85781 ↗

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. 2Diethylhexyl Carbonate. PubChem CID 85781. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3DIETHYLHEXYL CARBONATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4DIETHYLHEXYL CARBONATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=DIETHYLHEXYL%20CARBONATE