Database/Emollient/Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate
Route-dependent · ISO 16128

Is Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate natural?

It depends. Heptanoic acid is route-dependent on this site: it is a classic castor oil pyrolysis co-product but is also made by oxo synthesis. The entry already flagged that doubt, so the ester carries a route table rather than a single value. Neopentyl glycol is a synthetic formaldehyde-based diol on every route.

INCI nameNeopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate
CAS27841-04-9
FormulaC19H36O4 · 328.5 Da
FunctionEmollient · Skin Conditioning
FeedstockHeptanoic acid is obtained either from castor oil…

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
castor-derived heptanoic acid esterified with neopentyl glycolcastor oil pyrolysis heptanoic acid; petrochemical neopentyl glycol0.69~55%only the two heptanoyl groups are natural origin
oxo-synthesis heptanoic acid esterified with neopentyl glycolpetrochemical oxo heptanoic acid; petrochemical neopentyl glycol0.00~45%
Ask your supplier. A batch-specific certificate of origin or bio-based carbon test (ASTM D6866) settles which route applies.

How we scored it

The diester is C19H36O4, 328.50 Da: two heptanoyl groups C7H13O total 226.36 Da and the neopentyl glycol core C5H10O2 is 102.14 Da and is always petrochemical. With castor-derived heptanoic acid the value is 226.36/328.50 = 0.69; with petrochemical oxo heptanoic acid nothing is natural, 0.00.
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

Heptanoic acid is obtained either from castor oil pyrolysis, alongside undecylenic acid, or by petrochemical oxo synthesis. It is esterified with neopentyl glycol, a fully synthetic diol made from isobutyraldehyde and formaldehyde.

In plain English

An emollient ester of a synthetic diol (neopentyl glycol) and heptanoic acid, an acid classically obtained from castor oil. It leaves skin feeling soft without a greasy after-feel.

CosIng definition: Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate is the diester of neopentyl glycol and heptanoic acid. It conforms to the formula

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Structure

2D structure of Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate

(3-heptanoyloxy-2,2-dimethylpropyl) heptanoate

PubChem CID 119728 ↗

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. 2Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate. PubChem CID 119728. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3NEOPENTYL GLYCOL DIHEPTANOATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4NEOPENTYL GLYCOL DIHEPTANOATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=NEOPENTYL%20GLYCOL%20DIHEPTANOATE