Database/Emollient/Diethylhexyl Succinate
Route-dependent · ISO 16128

Is Diethylhexyl Succinate natural?

It depends. Succinic acid is route-dependent on this site and its esters inherit that, as the menthyl and diheptyl succinate entries already do. 2-Ethylhexanol is a petrochemical oxo alcohol on every route and carries most of the mass, which is why even the bio-succinic route stays low.

INCI nameDiethylhexyl Succinate
CAS2915-57-3
FormulaC20H38O4 · 342.5 Da
FunctionEmollient · Film Forming
FeedstockThe diester of succinic acid and 2-ethylhexanol. The…

Why the score varies

This ingredient is made commercially by more than one route, and ISO 16128 scores the feedstock actually used. Without a supplier certificate of origin the value cannot be claimed.

RouteFeedstockNOIShareNotes
petrochemical succinic acid + 2-ethylhexanolmaleic anhydride succinic acid; oxo-process 2-ethylhexanol0.00~75%
fermentation succinic acid + 2-ethylhexanolbio-based succinic acid; oxo-process 2-ethylhexanol0.34~25%, growingonly the 116.08 Da succinate core is natural origin
Ask your supplier. A batch-specific certificate of origin or bio-based carbon test (ASTM D6866) settles which route applies.

How we scored it

The diester is C20H38O4, 342.52 Da: two 2-ethylhexyl chains C8H17 total 226.44 Da and are always petrochemical oxo alcohol, and the succinate core with its ester oxygens is 116.08 Da. With petrochemical succinic acid nothing is natural, 0.00; with fermentation-derived succinic acid the value is 116.08/342.52 = 0.34.
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

The diester of succinic acid and 2-ethylhexanol. The alcohol is a petrochemical oxo-process product. Industrial succinic acid is predominantly made from petrochemical maleic anhydride, though a growing minority is fermented from glucose.

In plain English

An emollient and film-former that leaves a smooth, silicone-like feel in skincare and sunscreen. Both the acid and alcohol building blocks are normally manufactured from petrochemical feedstocks.

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Structure

2D structure of Diethylhexyl Succinate

bis(2-ethylhexyl) butanedioate

PubChem CID 102903 ↗

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 Succinate. PubChem CID 102903. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3DIETHYLHEXYL SUCCINATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4DIETHYLHEXYL SUCCINATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=DIETHYLHEXYL%20SUCCINATE