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

Is Isocetyl Myristate natural?

It depends. isocetyl (2-hexyldecyl) alcohol is a Guerbet dimer of octanol, which is made both oleochemically and petrochemically, so the ester's natural share depends on the alcohol source. Same ruling as Isocetyl Stearate and Octyldodecanol.

INCI nameIsocetyl Myristate
CAS83708-66-1
FormulaC30H60O2 · 452.8 Da
FunctionEmollient · Skin Conditioning
Feedstockmyristic acid esterified with isocetyl (2-hexyldecyl) alcohol, a…

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
oleochemical Guerbet alcoholisocetyl (2-hexyldecyl) alcohol from coconut/palm-kernel octanol, esterified with myristic acid1.00Every carbon fatty-acid derived.
petrochemical Guerbet alcoholisocetyl (2-hexyldecyl) alcohol from oxo/Ziegler octanol, esterified with myristic acid0.47Only the acyl fragment counts: 211.4/452.8 = 0.47.
Ask your supplier. A batch-specific certificate of origin or bio-based carbon test (ASTM D6866) settles which route applies.

How we scored it

Ester C30H60O2 452.8 Da. The myristic acid acyl fragment C14H27O 211.4 Da is oleochemical in both routes; the branched C16 alkoxy fragment 241.4 Da is natural when the Guerbet alcohol is built from coconut/palm octanol (NOI 1.00) and petrochemical when built from oxo or Ziegler octanol (211.4/452.8 = 0.47). Headline shows the natural route.
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

myristic acid esterified with isocetyl (2-hexyldecyl) alcohol, a C16 Guerbet alcohol of oleochemical or petrochemical octanol.

In plain English

An emollient wax ester that softens and conditions skin, made from a branched fatty alcohol and a fatty acid, both typically from vegetable oils.

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Structure

2D structure of Isocetyl Myristate

14-methylpentadecyl tetradecanoate

PubChem CID 16730121 ↗

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 Myristate. PubChem CID 16730121. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3ISOCETYL MYRISTATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4ISOCETYL MYRISTATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=ISOCETYL%20MYRISTATE