Database/Emollient/Methyl Cocoate
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Methyl Cocoate natural?

Mostly. Coconut fatty acyl groups from plant oil are natural, while the methyl ester group comes from methanol made from natural gas and counts as petrochemical.

INCI nameMethyl Cocoate
CAS61788-59-8
FunctionEmollient · Skin Conditioning
FeedstockCoconut or palm kernel oil is transesterified with…

How we scored it

Coconut acyl avg C12.9, about 196 Da natural; methoxy OCH3 31 Da (methanol, petrochemical); avg ester 227 Da; 196 / 227 = 0.86.
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

Coconut or palm kernel oil is transesterified with methanol, releasing glycerin as a by-product. Methanol is made from natural-gas syngas; bio-methanol is not a significant commercial route.

In plain English

A light, oily emollient made by reacting the fatty acids of coconut oil with methanol. It helps skin and hair feel soft and is also used as a solvent and as a starting material for other ingredients.

CosIng definition: Fatty acids, coco, Me esters

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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. 2METHYL COCOATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3METHYL COCOATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=METHYL%20COCOATE