Database/Emollient/Diisobutyl Adipate
100% petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Diisobutyl Adipate natural?

No. Both the diacid and the alcohol are petrochemical: adipic acid from cyclohexane, isobutanol from propylene oxo-synthesis; no natural fragment remains.

INCI nameDiisobutyl Adipate
CAS141-04-8
FormulaC14H26O4 · 258.35 Da
FunctionEmollient · Fragrance
FeedstockDiisobutyl adipate is made by esterifying synthetic adipic…

How we scored it

Adipic acid (C6 diacid, petrochemical, from cyclohexane oxidation) esterified with 2x isobutanol (synthetic oxo-alcohol) — both fragments petrochemical, 0/258 natural.
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

Diisobutyl adipate is made by esterifying synthetic adipic acid (from cyclohexane, via benzene) with isobutanol (an oxo-process alcohol from propylene). Both feedstocks are petrochemical; no natural-origin route is commercially used for this ester.

In plain English

A lightweight, oil-like ingredient that smooths skin and helps other ingredients spread easily. It's made in a factory by combining a synthetic acid with a synthetic alcohol; both starting materials typically come from petroleum, not plants.

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Structure

2D structure of Diisobutyl Adipate

bis(2-methylpropyl) hexanedioate

PubChem CID 8831 ↗

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. 2Diisobutyl Adipate. PubChem CID 8831. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3DIISOBUTYL ADIPATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4DIISOBUTYL ADIPATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=DIISOBUTYL%20ADIPATE