Database/Emollient/Phenethyl Benzoate
100% petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Phenethyl Benzoate natural?

No. Both phenethyl alcohol and benzoic acid are made industrially from petrochemical aromatics (styrene/benzene and toluene respectively).

INCI namePhenethyl Benzoate
CAS94-47-3
FormulaC15H14O2 · 226.27 Da
FunctionEmollient · Perfuming
FeedstockMade by esterifying phenethyl alcohol with benzoic acid,…

How we scored it

Phenethyl alcohol (petrochemical) + benzoic acid (toluene oxidation, petrochemical) − H2O; both fragments petrochemical → 0/226 = 0.0.
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 phenethyl alcohol with benzoic acid, both produced from petrochemical aromatic feedstocks. No commercially significant natural route for either fragment.

In plain English

A synthetic fragrance and emollient ingredient with a sweet, floral scent. Both its building blocks are typically made from petroleum-derived aromatic chemicals rather than plants.

Natural alternatives with the same function

Structure

2D structure of Phenethyl Benzoate

2-phenylethyl benzoate

PubChem CID 7194 ↗

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. 2Phenethyl Benzoate. PubChem CID 7194. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3PHENETHYL BENZOATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4PHENETHYL BENZOATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=PHENETHYL%20BENZOATE