Indole has a Natural Origin Index (NOI) of 0.00 (scale 0–1) per ISO 16128. Fragrance-grade indole is manufactured industrially from petrochemical aniline/nitrotoluene rather than isolated from jasmine essential oil. An NOI of 0.00 means 0% of its molecular mass is traceable to a natural, renewable source.

Is Indole natural? NOI 0.00 — Is That Natural?

How we scored it

Single aromatic heterocycle; scored as whole molecule per the fragrance-material route rule, no natural fragment.

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

The dominant commercial route synthesises indole from petrochemical aromatic feedstocks such as aniline. Trace natural indole exists in jasmine absolute but is not commercially isolated as a pure ingredient.

In plain English

A fragrance ingredient with a jasmine-like floral note, typically manufactured synthetically rather than extracted from flowers.

Natural alternatives with the same function

2,6-Dimethyl-7-Octen-2-Ol 100% natural origin

Dihydromyrcenol, a fresh, citrus-lime, slightly metallic fragrance ingredient used in many perfumes and cleaning products. It is made…

Abies Alba Cone Extract 100% natural origin

An extract from fir tree cones that adds a fresh, forest-like scent to cosmetic products.

Abies Alba Leaf Oil 100% natural origin

Essential oil distilled from fir tree needles, used for its fresh, woody fragrance. A whole natural essential oil.

Abies Alba Needle Extract 100% natural origin

A fir-needle extract used mainly to add a fresh, woody scent to cosmetics. It comes from extracting the…

Abies Alba Needle Oil 100% natural origin

An essential oil steam-distilled from the needles of the European silver fir. It gives fragrances and toiletries a…

Abies Balsamea Needle Extract 100% natural origin

A balsam fir needle extract used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, made by extracting the needles of…

Structure

1H-indole

PubChem CID 798 ↗

References

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.
2Indole. PubChem CID 798. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
3INDOLE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
4INDOLE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=INDOLE