Muscone has a Natural Origin Index (NOI) of 0.00 (scale 0–1) per ISO 16128. Legitimate natural musk-deer sourcing is prohibited or negligible; virtually all cosmetic-grade muscone is fully synthesised from petrochemical precursors. An NOI of 0.00 means 0% of its molecular mass is traceable to a natural, renewable source.

Is Muscone natural? NOI 0.00 — Is That Natural?

How we scored it

Commercial supply is chemically synthesised nature-identical material; natural deer-musk extraction is CITES-restricted and not commercially available.

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

Modern cosmetic muscone is made by total chemical synthesis (e.g., from cyclopentadecanolide-type precursors), since the historical animal source, musk deer glands, is CITES-protected and not a legitimate commercial supply. No natural route is commercially available for cosmetics.

In plain English

A musky fragrance ingredient now made entirely by chemical synthesis, since the original animal source (musk deer) is a protected species and no longer used. It is fully synthetic today.

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References

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