Database/Emollient/Diethylhexylcyclohexane
100% petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Diethylhexylcyclohexane natural?

No. The cyclohexane ring and both branched 2-ethylhexyl chains come from petrochemical benzene and propylene-derived oxo C8 units, leaving no natural-origin fragment.

INCI nameDiethylhexylcyclohexane
CAS84753-08-2
FormulaC22H44 · 308.6 Da
FunctionEmollient · Skin Conditioning
FeedstockDominant route is petrochemical: a benzene or cyclohexane…

How we scored it

C22H44 (308.6 Da): cyclohexane ring plus two 2-ethylhexyl chains, all from petrochemical benzene and propylene (oxo C8). Natural mass 0 / 308.6 = 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

Dominant route is petrochemical: a benzene or cyclohexane core carrying two 2-ethylhexyl units, then fully hydrogenated. No plant-based route is known for this branched saturated hydrocarbon.

In plain English

A light, oil-like emollient that helps creams and sunscreens spread and leaves skin with a dry, silky feel. It is a synthetic saturated hydrocarbon made from petrochemical building blocks, not from plants.

Natural alternatives with the same function

Structure

2D structure of Diethylhexylcyclohexane

1,3-bis(2-ethylhexyl)cyclohexane

PubChem CID 15775115 ↗

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. 2Diethylhexylcyclohexane. PubChem CID 15775115. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3DIETHYLHEXYLCYCLOHEXANE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4DIETHYLHEXYLCYCLOHEXANE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=DIETHYLHEXYLCYCLOHEXANE