Database/Emollient/Pentaerythrityl Tetrabehenate
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Pentaerythrityl Tetrabehenate natural?

Mostly. Behenic acid is a natural long-chain vegetable fatty acid; pentaerythritol is a synthetic polyol from formaldehyde and acetaldehyde.

INCI namePentaerythrityl Tetrabehenate
CAS61682-73-3
FormulaC93H180O8 · 1426.4 Da
FunctionEmollient · Viscosity Controlling
FeedstockMade by esterifying pentaerythritol, a petrochemical polyol, with…

How we scored it

Pentaerythritol 136 (synthetic) esterified with 4x behenic acid 341 each (natural); fragments 1294 natural/132 synthetic, 1294/1426=0.91.
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

Made by esterifying pentaerythritol, a petrochemical polyol, with four molecules of behenic acid from vegetable oil such as rapeseed. Behenic acid supplies most of the molecule's mass.

In plain English

A thickening emollient made by joining a small synthetic core to four long-chain fatty acid molecules from vegetable oil. It adds body and a smooth texture to creams.

Natural alternatives with the same function

Structure

2D structure of Pentaerythrityl Tetrabehenate

[3-docosanoyloxy-2,2-bis(docosanoyloxymethyl)propyl] docosanoate

PubChem CID 162947 ↗

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. 2Pentaerythrityl Tetrabehenate. PubChem CID 162947. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3PENTAERYTHRITYL TETRABEHENATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4PENTAERYTHRITYL TETRABEHENATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=PENTAERYTHRITYL%20TETRABEHENATE