Database/Emollient/Hexyl Laurate
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Hexyl Laurate natural?

Mostly. Lauric acid is oleochemical from coconut oil; the C6 hexanol is assigned petrochemical since it falls below the typical natural fatty-alcohol cut and is usually a synthetic alcohol.

INCI nameHexyl Laurate
CAS34316-64-8
FormulaC18H36O2 · 284.5 Da
FunctionEmollient · Skin Conditioning
FeedstockHexyl Laurate is the ester of coconut-derived lauric…

How we scored it

Lauric acid C12H24O2 200 Da (natural) + hexanol C6H14O 102 Da (assumed petrochemical, below the C8+ natural-alcohol range) - H2O = 183/284 = 0.64.
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

Hexyl Laurate is the ester of coconut-derived lauric acid with 1-hexanol; commercial hexanol is generally a petrochemical (Ziegler/oxo-process) alcohol rather than a natural fatty-alcohol cut. A minor natural C6 fraction from coconut oil fractionation is possible but not confirmed as the dominant supply.

In plain English

An emollient ester that gives skincare a light, non-greasy feel. It combines a coconut-derived fatty acid with a short alcohol whose natural-versus-petrochemical origin is genuinely uncertain.

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Structure

2D structure of Hexyl Laurate

hexyl dodecanoate

PubChem CID 94454 ↗

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. 2Hexyl Laurate. PubChem CID 94454. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3HEXYL LAURATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4HEXYL LAURATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=HEXYL%20LAURATE