Database/Solvent/Dimethyl Isosorbide
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Dimethyl Isosorbide natural?

Mostly. Bicyclic core comes from plant-sugar-derived sorbitol; the two methyl groups are added using petrochemical methanol.

INCI nameDimethyl Isosorbide
CAS5306-85-4
FormulaC8H14O4 · 174.19 Da
FunctionSolvent · Viscosity Controlling
FeedstockIsosorbide is made by dehydrating sorbitol from corn…

How we scored it

Isosorbide core (from sorbitol/glucose) 144 Da natural + 2x methyl caps 30 Da (from methanol, petrochemical) = 144/174 = 0.83
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

Isosorbide is made by dehydrating sorbitol from corn or wheat glucose; both hydroxyls are then methylated with methanol-derived reagents.

In plain English

A lightweight solvent that helps active ingredients dissolve and penetrate skin. Its core comes from plant sugar via sorbitol but is capped with two synthetic methyl groups from methanol.

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Structure

2D structure of Dimethyl Isosorbide

(3S,3aR,6R,6aR)-3,6-dimethoxy-2,3,3a,5,6,6a-hexahydrofuro[3,2-b]furan

PubChem CID 62990 ↗

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. 2Dimethyl Isosorbide. PubChem CID 62990. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3DIMETHYL ISOSORBIDE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4DIMETHYL ISOSORBIDE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=DIMETHYL%20ISOSORBIDE