Database/Emollient/Isocetyl Behenate
Route-dependent · ISO 16128

Is Isocetyl Behenate natural?

It depends. The behenic acid half is natural; whether the isocetyl half is depends on how the Guerbet alcohol was made.

INCI nameIsocetyl Behenate
CAS94247-28-6
FormulaC38H76O2 · 565.0 Da
FunctionEmollient · Skin Conditioning
FeedstockIsocetyl alcohol (Guerbet, natural or petrochemical) esterified with…

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
isocetyl alcohol from natural fatty alcoholisocetyl (2-hexyldecyl) alcohol made by Guerbet dimerisation of coconut/palm-kernel octanol, esterified with behenic acid1.00common for cosmetic gradesevery atom natural origin
isocetyl alcohol from petrochemical fatty alcoholisocetyl alcohol from Ziegler/oxo octanol, esterified with behenic acid0.57also commercialonly the behenoyl fragment 323.6 Da of 565.0 Da is natural origin
Ask your supplier. A batch-specific certificate of origin or bio-based carbon test (ASTM D6866) settles which route applies.

How we scored it

Guerbet alcohols are route-dependent by site policy (see Isocetyl Alcohol and Isocetyl Stearate). Ester 565.0 Da = isocetyl fragment 241.4 Da + behenoyl 323.6 Da. Natural-alcohol route 1.0; petrochemical-alcohol route 323.6/565.0 = 0.57.
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

Isocetyl alcohol (Guerbet, natural or petrochemical) esterified with behenic acid.

In plain English

An emollient, wax-like ester that smooths and conditions skin. It's made by combining isocetyl alcohol and behenic acid, both fatty compounds typically derived from vegetable oils.

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Structure

2D structure of Isocetyl Behenate

14-methylpentadecyl docosanoate

PubChem CID 44148920 ↗

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. 2Isocetyl Behenate. PubChem CID 44148920. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3ISOCETYL BEHENATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4ISOCETYL BEHENATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=ISOCETYL%20BEHENATE