Database/Solvent/Isopentyldiol
100% petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Isopentyldiol natural?

No. Synthetic branched diol manufactured from petrochemical feedstocks via Prins-type or Reppe chemistry.

INCI nameIsopentyldiol
CAS50468-22-9
FormulaC5H12O2 · 104.15 Da
FunctionSolvent
FeedstockProduced industrially from petrochemical isobutylene (or acetone/acetylene) via…

How we scored it

3-Methyl-1,3-butanediol made from petrochemical isobutylene/acetone-derived intermediates; no natural fragment = 0.0.
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.

How it’s made

Prins (carbonyl-ene) of isobutylene with formaldehyde, then acid hydration. Each curved arrow moves one electron pair, and the film ends on the score above.

Where it comes from

Produced industrially from petrochemical isobutylene (or acetone/acetylene) via acid-catalysed addition chemistry. No commercially significant bio-based route currently exists.

In plain English

A synthetic, petrochemically-made solvent and humectant used to dissolve other ingredients and help products feel less sticky and spread more easily.

Natural alternatives with the same function

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Structure

2D structure of Isopentyldiol

3-methylbutane-1,3-diol

PubChem CID 247470 ↗

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. 2Isopentyldiol. PubChem CID 247470. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3ISOPENTYLDIOL. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4ISOPENTYLDIOL. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=ISOPENTYLDIOL