Database/Skin Conditioning/Isotridecyl Stearate
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Isotridecyl Stearate natural?

Mostly. Stearic acid is a natural oleochemical fatty acid; isotridecyl alcohol is a synthetic branched alcohol from petrochemical oxo-synthesis.

INCI nameIsotridecyl Stearate
CAS31565-37-4
FormulaC31H62O2 · 466.8 Da
FunctionSkin Conditioning
FeedstockMade by esterifying stearic acid (vegetable oil or…

How we scored it

Stearic acid 284 (natural) esterified with isotridecanol 200 (synthetic branched oxo-alcohol); fragments 267 natural/199 synthetic, 267/466=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

Made by esterifying stearic acid (vegetable oil or tallow) with isotridecyl alcohol, a branched synthetic alcohol from the oxo process on petrochemical olefins. No natural route exists for the alcohol.

In plain English

A skin-conditioning ingredient made from a natural fatty acid joined to a man-made branched alcohol. It is used to give creams and lotions a smooth, non-greasy feel.

Natural alternatives with the same function

Structure

2D structure of Isotridecyl Stearate

11-methyldodecyl octadecanoate

PubChem CID 160206 ↗

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. 2Isotridecyl Stearate. PubChem CID 160206. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3ISOTRIDECYL STEARATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4ISOTRIDECYL STEARATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=ISOTRIDECYL%20STEARATE