Database/Skin Conditioning/Isocetyl Salicylate
Route-dependent · ISO 16128

Is Isocetyl Salicylate natural?

It depends. Isocetyl alcohol is route-dependent under the Guerbet policy and salicylic acid is petrochemical, so only the natural-isocetyl route carries natural mass. Same ruling as Isocetyl Stearate.

INCI nameIsocetyl Salicylate
CAS138208-68-1
FormulaC23H38O3 · 362.5 Da
FunctionSkin Conditioning
FeedstockSalicylic acid (from phenol) esterified with isocetyl alcohol,…

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
natural isocetyl (Guerbet C16)isocetyl (Guerbet C16) of natural origin + salicylic acid from petrochemical synthesis0.67Isocetyl (guerbet c16) fragment C16H33O 241.4/362.6 = 0.67.
syntheticisocetyl (Guerbet C16) and salicylic acid both from petrochemical synthesis0.00No natural carbon.
Ask your supplier. A batch-specific certificate of origin or bio-based carbon test (ASTM D6866) settles which route applies.

How we scored it

Isocetyl Salicylate C23H38O3 362.6 Da: isocetyl (Guerbet C16) fragment C16H33O 241.4 Da is natural only from an essential-oil, balsam or turpentine source; the salicylic acid fragment 121.1 Da is petrochemical in every commercial route. Routes: natural isocetyl (Guerbet C16) 0.67, synthetic 0.00. Headline shows the best 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

Salicylic acid (from phenol) esterified with isocetyl alcohol, a Guerbet C16 alcohol of oleochemical or petrochemical octanol.

In plain English

An ester made by combining a fatty alcohol with salicylic acid, a common skincare acid. Used as a skin-conditioning ingredient, often in sun-care and leave-on products.

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Structure

2D structure of Isocetyl Salicylate

14-methylpentadecyl 2-hydroxybenzoate

PubChem CID 18323494 ↗

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 Salicylate. PubChem CID 18323494. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3ISOCETYL SALICYLATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4ISOCETYL SALICYLATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=ISOCETYL%20SALICYLATE