Database/Fragrance/Menthyl Lactate
Route-dependent · ISO 16128

Is Menthyl Lactate natural?

It depends. Menthol is natural origin from cornmint oil or pine-turpentine myrcene and petrochemical from m-cresol or isobutylene-based citral; lactic acid is always a fermentation product.

INCI nameMenthyl Lactate
CAS59259-38-0
FormulaC13H24O3 · 228.33 Da
FunctionFragrance · Refreshing
FeedstockMenthyl Lactate esterifies fermentation-derived lactic acid with menthol,…

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 or pine-derived menthol + fermentation lactic acidmenthol from Mentha arvensis cornmint oil or made from pine-turpentine myrcene; fermentation lactic acid1.00~65% (estimated)
petrochemical menthol + fermentation lactic acidmenthol made from m-cresol or isobutylene-based citral; fermentation lactic acid0.32~35% (estimated)
Ask your supplier. A batch-specific certificate of origin or bio-based carbon test (ASTM D6866) settles which route applies.

How we scored it

Natural route: menthol (cornmint or pine-derived) + lactic acid (fermentation) = 1.00. Petrochemical-menthol route: menthol 155.3 Da petrochemical + lactic acid 73.1 Da natural, /228.3 = 0.32. Routes not averaged.
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

Fischer esterification of lactic acid with menthol. Each curved arrow moves one electron pair, and the film ends on the score above.

Where it comes from

Menthyl Lactate esterifies fermentation-derived lactic acid with menthol, most often from cornmint (Mentha arvensis) oil. Synthetic menthol is natural origin when made from pine-turpentine myrcene and petrochemical when made from m-cresol or isobutylene-based citral.

In plain English

A cooling, minty ingredient made by combining menthol with lactic acid. The menthol usually comes from cornmint plant oil, but some is made synthetically from petrochemicals, so the natural content varies by supplier.

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Structure

2D structure of Menthyl Lactate

[(1R,2S,5R)-5-methyl-2-propan-2-ylcyclohexyl] (2S)-2-hydroxypropanoate

PubChem CID 7076215 ↗

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. 2Menthyl Lactate. PubChem CID 7076215. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3MENTHYL LACTATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4MENTHYL LACTATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=MENTHYL%20LACTATE