Database/Emollient/Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate natural?

Mostly. Stearic acid arms come from vegetable oil or tallow; the pentaerythritol core is synthesized from petrochemical formaldehyde and acetaldehyde.

INCI namePentaerythrityl Tetrastearate
CAS115-83-3
FormulaC77H148O8 · 1202.0 Da
FunctionEmollient · Viscosity Controlling
FeedstockMade by esterifying pentaerythritol, a synthetic polyol from…

How we scored it

Four stearoyl arms (1069.9 Da, oleochemical) / total C77H148O8 (1202.0 Da); pentaerythritol core (132.1 Da) from formaldehyde/acetaldehyde is petrochemical. 1069.9/1202.0=0.89.
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 synthetic polyol from formaldehyde and acetaldehyde, with four stearic acid molecules from vegetable oil or tallow. Only the small polyol core is petrochemical.

In plain English

A wax-like emollient ester made by joining four stearic acid molecules, a fatty acid from vegetable oils or tallow, to pentaerythritol, a small synthetic polyol made from formaldehyde. Thickens creams and balms.

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Structure

2D structure of Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate

[3-octadecanoyloxy-2,2-bis(octadecanoyloxymethyl)propyl] octadecanoate

PubChem CID 61037 ↗

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 Tetrastearate. PubChem CID 61037. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3PENTAERYTHRITYL TETRASTEARATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4PENTAERYTHRITYL TETRASTEARATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=PENTAERYTHRITYL%20TETRASTEARATE