Database/Emollient/Octyldodecyl Oleate
Route-dependent · ISO 16128

Is Octyldodecyl Oleate natural?

It depends. The value depends on whether the octyldodecanol was built from natural or petrochemical fatty alcohol; the oleic acid half is natural oleochemical.

INCI nameOctyldodecyl Oleate
CAS22801-45-2
FormulaC38H74O2 · 563.0 Da
FunctionEmollient
Feedstockoctyldodecanol (Guerbet alcohol, natural or petrochemical) esterified with…

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
octyldodecanol from natural fatty alcoholoctyldodecanol made by Guerbet dimerisation of coconut/palm-kernel-derived fatty alcohol, esterified with oleic acid1.00common for cosmetic gradesEvery atom of the ester is natural origin
octyldodecanol from petrochemical fatty alcoholoctyldodecanol made from Ziegler/oxo (ethylene-derived) fatty alcohol, esterified with oleic acid0.47also commercialOnly the oleic acid fragment (265.4 Da of 563.0 Da) is natural origin
Ask your supplier. A batch-specific certificate of origin or bio-based carbon test (ASTM D6866) settles which route applies.

How we scored it

Guerbet alcohols are route-dependent by site policy (see Octyldodecanol). Ester 563.0 Da = octyldodecanol fragment 297.5 Da + oleic acid acyl 265.4 Da. Natural-alcohol route: 1.0; petrochemical-alcohol route: 0.47.
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

octyldodecanol (Guerbet alcohol, natural or petrochemical) esterified with oleic acid.

In plain English

An ester made from a branched fatty alcohol and oleic acid, a fatty acid from vegetable oils. Used as an emollient in skin and hair products.

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Structure

2D structure of Octyldodecyl Oleate

2-octyldodecyl (Z)-octadec-9-enoate

PubChem CID 6436561 ↗

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. 2Octyldodecyl Oleate. PubChem CID 6436561. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3OCTYLDODECYL OLEATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4OCTYLDODECYL OLEATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=OCTYLDODECYL%20OLEATE