How we scored it
Dimer dilinoleic acid (vegetable C18 acid), phytosterols, and isostearyl, cetyl, stearyl and behenyl alcohols (oleochemical) are all natural; esterification adds no foreign mass: 1.00.
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: esterification of dimer dilinoleic acid (from tall-oil or vegetable-oil fatty acids) with phytosterols and fatty alcohols from palm, coconut or rapeseed oil. Supplier note: isostearyl and long-chain alcohols can also be oxo or Ziegler synthetic, which would lower the value.
In plain English
A waxy, thickening ester used to condition skin and hair and add body to creams and sticks. It is built from dimerised linoleic acid and fatty alcohols from vegetable oils, plus plant sterols.
CosIng definition: 9,12(Z,Z)-Octadecadienoic acid dimer, diester with plant sterols, isooctadecanol, hexadecanol, octadecanol and docosanol
References
- 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.
- 2PHYTOSTERYL/ISOSTEARYL/CETYL/STEARYL/BEHENYL DIMER DILINOLEATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
- 3PHYTOSTERYL/ISOSTEARYL/CETYL/STEARYL/BEHENYL DIMER DILINOLEATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=PHYTOSTERYL/ISOSTEARYL/CETYL/STEARYL/BEHENYL%20DIMER%20DILINOLEATE