Database/Solvent/Hexanediol
100% petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Hexanediol natural?

No. The six-carbon diol backbone is built from petrochemical adipic acid (via cyclohexane) or 1-hexene, so no fragment has natural origin.

INCI nameHexanediol
CAS629-11-8
FunctionSolvent
FeedstockDominant route is hydrogenation of adipic acid or…

How we scored it

C6H14O2, 118.2 Da. All six carbons come from petrochemical adipic acid (1,6-isomer, the CAS listed) or 1-hexene (1,2-isomer); no natural fragment. 0 / 118.2 = 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 hydrogenation of adipic acid or its esters (1,6-hexanediol) or epoxidation and hydrolysis of 1-hexene (1,2-hexanediol), both petrochemical. Sugar-derived hexanediol is not in commercial cosmetic supply at any scale.

In plain English

A clear solvent and humectant that helps dissolve other ingredients and supports preservative systems. It is made industrially from petrochemical raw materials such as adipic acid or hexene rather than extracted from plants.

Natural alternatives with the same function

1,10-Decanediol 100% natural origin

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 Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride 100% natural origin

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 Coconut Alkanes 100% natural origin

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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. 2HEXANEDIOL. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3HEXANEDIOL. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=HEXANEDIOL