Database/Humectant/Phytantriol
100% petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Phytantriol natural?

No. The triol is made by hydroxylating isophytol, a terpenoid assembled from petrochemical C2-C5 blocks (b), so no atom is natural origin.

INCI namePhytantriol
CAS74563-64-7
FormulaC20H42O3 · 330.5 Da
FunctionHumectant
FeedstockDominant route: synthetic isophytol, the vitamin E side-chain…

How we scored it

C20H42O3 330.5 Da: all 20 carbons come from synthetic isophytol (petrochemical C5 blocks); no natural fragment: 0/330.5 = 0.00.
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

Dominant route: synthetic isophytol, the vitamin E side-chain intermediate, is epoxidised and hydrolysed to the 1,2,3-triol. A route from natural phytol (chlorophyll) is chemically possible but not commercially significant.

In plain English

A waxy alcohol that holds water on skin and hair, used as a humectant and to improve feel in creams and hair products. It is made by chemical synthesis from isophytol, a petrochemical-derived intermediate also used for synthetic vitamin E.

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Structure

2D structure of Phytantriol

3,7,11,15-tetramethylhexadecane-1,2,3-triol

PubChem CID 3018525 ↗

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. 2Phytantriol. PubChem CID 3018525. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3PHYTANTRIOL. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4PHYTANTRIOL. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=PHYTANTRIOL