Database/Emollient/Isocetyl Stearoyl Stearate
Route-dependent · ISO 16128

Is Isocetyl Stearoyl Stearate natural?

It depends. Isocetyl 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. The 12-hydroxystearic and stearic acid parts are natural either way. Same ruling as Isocetyl Stearate.

INCI nameIsocetyl Stearoyl Stearate
CAS97338-28-8
FormulaC52H102O4 · 791.4 Da
FunctionEmollient · Skin Conditioning
Feedstock12-Hydroxystearic acid (hydrogenated castor oil) acylated with stearic…

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 octanol, esterified with stearoyl-stearic acid (castor 12-hydroxystearic + stearic acid)1.00Every fragment is fatty-acid derived.
petrochemical Guerbet alcoholisocetyl alcohol from oxo/Ziegler octanol, esterified with stearoyl-stearic acid0.69Stearoyl-stearate part 549.9/791.4 = 0.69 natural.
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 C52H102O4 791.4 Da. The stearoyl-stearate acid part C36H69O3 549.9 Da (castor-derived 12-hydroxystearic acid acylated with stearic acid) is natural in both routes; the isocetyl-oxy fragment C16H33O 241.4 Da is natural when the C16 Guerbet alcohol comes from coconut/palm octanol (NOI 1.00) and petrochemical from oxo/Ziegler octanol (549.9/791.4 = 0.69). 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

12-Hydroxystearic acid (hydrogenated castor oil) acylated with stearic acid and esterified with isocetyl alcohol, a C16 Guerbet alcohol of oleochemical or petrochemical octanol.

In plain English

An emollient ester built from a branched fatty alcohol and fatty acids derived from vegetable and castor oil sources, combined by esterification. Used to condition skin and control formula viscosity.

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Structure

2D structure of Isocetyl Stearoyl Stearate

14-methylpentadecyl 12-octadecanoyloxyoctadecanoate

PubChem CID 44154196 ↗

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 Stearoyl Stearate. PubChem CID 44154196. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3ISOCETYL STEAROYL STEARATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4ISOCETYL STEAROYL STEARATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=ISOCETYL%20STEAROYL%20STEARATE