Database/Fragrance/Pentadecalactone
100% petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Pentadecalactone natural?

No. Occurs only as a trace natural constituent of a few essential oils, not commercially extractable; virtually all supply is synthesized from petrochemical feedstock.

INCI namePentadecalactone
CAS106-02-5
FunctionFragrance · Perfuming
FeedstockManufactured synthetically via ring-expansion or oxidative lactonization of…

How we scored it

Macrocyclic musk lactone; dominant commercial route is ring-expansion/oxidation of petrochemical cyclic ketone precursors, not extraction.
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

Manufactured synthetically via ring-expansion or oxidative lactonization of cyclic ketone precursors derived from petrochemical feedstocks. Natural occurrence (e.g. in angelica root oil) is too dilute to supply the fragrance market.

In plain English

A musky fragrance ingredient structurally related to a long-chain fatty acid. Commercial supply is made synthetically in a lab rather than extracted from its rare natural plant sources.

CosIng definition: Pentadecalactone is the lactone of 15-hydroxypentadecanoic acid that conforms to the formula

Natural alternatives with the same function

2,6-Dimethyl-7-Octen-2-Ol 100% natural origin

Dihydromyrcenol, a fresh, citrus-lime, slightly metallic fragrance ingredient used in many perfumes and cleaning products. It is made…

 4-Terpineol 100% natural origin

A woody, peppery-smelling terpene alcohol and the main fragrant component of tea tree oil. It is used for…

 Abies Alba Leaf Oil 100% natural origin

Essential oil distilled from fir tree needles, used for its fresh, woody fragrance. A whole natural essential oil.

 Abies Balsamea Resin 100% natural origin

A sticky resin tapped from balsam fir trees, used for its piney scent and to form a thin…

 Abies Sachalinensis Leaf Oil 100% natural origin

An essential oil steam-distilled from Sakhalin fir needles, giving a fresh, woody fragrance to cosmetics and perfumes. It…

 Abies Sibirica Oil 100% natural origin

A fresh, piney fragrance oil steam-distilled from Siberian fir needles and branches. It comes directly from the tree…

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