Database/Perfuming/Phenethyl Salicylate
Route-dependent · ISO 16128

Is Phenethyl Salicylate natural?

It depends. Phenethyl alcohol is route-dependent; salicylic acid is made from petrochemical phenol, as on the site's other salicylate esters.

INCI namePhenethyl Salicylate
CAS87-22-9
FormulaC15H14O3 · 242.27 Da
FunctionPerfuming
FeedstockPhenethyl alcohol (natural or synthetic) esterified with petrochemical…

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
natural phenethylphenethyl of natural origin + salicylic acid from petrochemical synthesis0.50Phenethyl fragment C8H9O 121.2/242.3 = 0.50.
syntheticphenethyl and salicylic acid both from petrochemical synthesis0.00No natural carbon.
Ask your supplier. A batch-specific certificate of origin or bio-based carbon test (ASTM D6866) settles which route applies.

How we scored it

Phenethyl Salicylate C15H14O3 242.3 Da: phenethyl fragment C8H9O 121.2 Da is natural only from an essential-oil, balsam or turpentine source; the salicylic acid fragment 121.1 Da is petrochemical in every commercial route. Routes: natural phenethyl 0.50, synthetic 0.00. Headline shows the best route.
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

Phenethyl alcohol (natural or synthetic) esterified with petrochemical salicylic acid.

In plain English

A synthetic fragrance ester with a sweet, balsamic scent, made by combining a phenol-derived acid with an aromatic alcohol.

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Structure

2D structure of Phenethyl Salicylate

2-phenylethyl 2-hydroxybenzoate

PubChem CID 62332 ↗

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 Salicylate. PubChem CID 62332. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3PHENETHYL SALICYLATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4PHENETHYL SALICYLATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=PHENETHYL%20SALICYLATE