Database/Emollient/Ethylhexyl Laurate
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Ethylhexyl Laurate natural?

Mostly. Lauric acid fragment from coconut/palm kernel oil is natural; the 2-ethylhexanol fragment is a petrochemical oxo-alcohol.

INCI nameEthylhexyl Laurate
CAS20292-08-4
FormulaC20H40O2 · 312.5 Da
FunctionEmollient
FeedstockMade by esterifying lauric acid, typically from coconut…

How we scored it

Lauric acid C12H24O2 (200.3) minus OH = 183.3 natural; 2-ethylhexanol C8H18O (130.2) minus H = 129.2 petrochemical oxo-alcohol; 183.3/312.5=0.59.
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 lauric acid, typically from coconut or palm kernel oil, with 2-ethylhexanol, a synthetic oxo-process alcohol. No natural route to 2-ethylhexanol is commercially used.

In plain English

An emollient ester made from coconut-derived lauric acid and a synthetic branched alcohol, used to soften and smooth skin in creams and lotions.

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Structure

2D structure of Ethylhexyl Laurate

2-ethylhexyl dodecanoate

PubChem CID 89309 ↗

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. 2Ethylhexyl Laurate. PubChem CID 89309. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3ETHYLHEXYL LAURATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4ETHYLHEXYL LAURATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=ETHYLHEXYL%20LAURATE