Database/Emollient/Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate natural?

Mostly. The two octanoyl groups come from coconut or palm kernel caprylic acid, while the propane-1,2-diol core is petrochemical propylene glycol made from propylene oxide.

INCI namePropylene Glycol Dicaprylate
CAS7384-98-7
FormulaC19H36O4 · 328.5 Da
FunctionEmollient · Viscosity Controlling
FeedstockOleochemical caprylic acid is esterified with petrochemical propylene…

How we scored it

C19H36O4 (328.5 Da): two natural octanoyl C8H15O (2 x 127.2 = 254.4 Da); petrochemical propylene glycol core C3H6O2 74.1 Da; 254.4 / 328.5 = 0.77.
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

Oleochemical caprylic acid is esterified with petrochemical propylene glycol. Bio-based propylene glycol from glycerin exists but is not the standard supply, and the site treats propylene glycol as n = 0.

In plain English

A low-viscosity emollient ester of propylene glycol and caprylic acid, used to soften the skin and thin the texture of oils in creams, sunscreens and make-up. The caprylic acid comes from coconut or palm kernel oil; the propylene glycol part is petrochemical.

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Structure

2D structure of Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate

2-octanoyloxypropyl octanoate

PubChem CID 94339 ↗

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. 2Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate. PubChem CID 94339. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3PROPYLENE GLYCOL DICAPRYLATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4PROPYLENE GLYCOL DICAPRYLATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=PROPYLENE%20GLYCOL%20DICAPRYLATE