Database/Antioxidant/Ethyl Ferulate
Route-dependent · ISO 16128

Is Ethyl Ferulate natural?

It depends. Ester of ferulic acid (rice-bran extraction vs vanillin-Perkin synthesis) with natural fermentation ethanol; which ferulic-acid route dominates cosmetic supply is unclear.

INCI nameEthyl Ferulate
CAS4046-02-0
FormulaC12H14O4 · 222.24 Da
FunctionAntioxidant
FeedstockMade by esterifying ferulic acid, either extracted from…

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
rice-bran/wheat-bran extractionferulic acid from bran oil byproduct + fermentation ethanol1.00unknown
vanillin Perkin synthesispetrochemical vanillin-derived ferulic acid + ethanol0.20unknown
Ask your supplier. A batch-specific certificate of origin or bio-based carbon test (ASTM D6866) settles which route applies.

How we scored it

Ferulic acid fragment C9H7O3 177.2 Da (route-dependent) + ethoxy C2H5O 45.1 Da (fermentation ethanol, natural) = 222.2 Da. Natural-acid route: 1.0; synthetic-acid route: 45.1/222.2 = 0.20.
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

Made by esterifying ferulic acid, either extracted from rice/wheat bran oil byproducts or synthesised from vanillin, with ethanol. Market share between the two ferulic-acid routes for cosmetic grade could not be determined without a web lookup.

In plain English

An antioxidant made by combining ferulic acid, found in rice bran and other plant material, with ethanol. Protects formulas from oxidation; the ferulic acid can also come from a lab-made route.

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Structure

2D structure of Ethyl Ferulate

ethyl (E)-3-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)prop-2-enoate

PubChem CID 736681 ↗

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. 2Ethyl Ferulate. PubChem CID 736681. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3ETHYL FERULATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4ETHYL FERULATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=ETHYL%20FERULATE