Database/Antioxidant/Phenylethyl Resorcinol
100% petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Phenylethyl Resorcinol natural?

No. Both the resorcinol ring and the phenylethyl substituent are synthesised from petrochemical benzene-derived feedstocks.

INCI namePhenylethyl Resorcinol
CAS85-27-8
FormulaC14H14O2 · 214.26 Da
FunctionAntioxidant
FeedstockSynthesised by Friedel-Crafts alkylation of resorcinol (a phenol…

How we scored it

Resorcinol (petrochemical phenol derivative) alkylated with a phenylethyl group (from styrene, petrochemical); 0/total = 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.

How it’s made

Acid-catalysed Friedel–Crafts alkylation of resorcinol with styrene (benzylic cation). Each curved arrow moves one electron pair, and the film ends on the score above.

Where it comes from

Synthesised by Friedel-Crafts alkylation of resorcinol (a phenol derivative made from benzene) with styrene, both petrochemical intermediates. No natural or bio-based route is used commercially.

In plain English

A brightening antioxidant used in skincare to help even out skin tone. It is a fully synthetic molecule built from petroleum-derived benzene chemistry, with no natural source.

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Structure

2D structure of Phenylethyl Resorcinol

4-(1-phenylethyl)benzene-1,3-diol

PubChem CID 11171903 ↗

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. 2Phenylethyl Resorcinol. PubChem CID 11171903. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3PHENYLETHYL RESORCINOL. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4PHENYLETHYL RESORCINOL. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=PHENYLETHYL%20RESORCINOL