Database/Skin Conditioning/Retinyl Linoleate
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Retinyl Linoleate natural?

Mostly not. Linoleic acid comes from vegetable oil, but commercial retinol is fully synthesised from petrochemical building blocks.

INCI nameRetinyl Linoleate
CAS631-89-0
FormulaC38H60O2 · 548.9 Da
FunctionSkin Conditioning
FeedstockRetinol is manufactured by total synthesis from petrochemical…

How we scored it

Linoleic acid fragment (natural, C18) 263 Da / total 549 Da = 0.48; retinol (synthetic) contributes 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.

Where it comes from

Retinol is manufactured by total synthesis from petrochemical intermediates, then esterified with linoleic acid from vegetable oil. No significant natural-retinol route in cosmetics.

In plain English

An ester made from lab-synthesised vitamin A joined to linoleic acid, a fatty acid from vegetable oil. Used in skincare as a conditioning ingredient.

Natural alternatives with the same function

Abelmoschus Esculentus Fruit Extract 100% natural origin

An extract made from okra pods, used to condition skin in cosmetic formulas. Produced by extracting the fruit,…

 Abelmoschus Manihot Flower Extract 100% natural origin

A flower extract from a hibiscus relative, used to condition and soothe skin. Made by extracting the flowers…

 Abies Alba Extract 100% natural origin

An extract of the European silver fir (Abies alba), a conifer from the mountains of Europe. It is…

 Acacia Concinna Fruit Extract 100% natural origin

An extract from shikakai fruit, a plant traditionally used in Indian hair and skin care. It conditions skin…

 Acacia Dealbata Flower Extract 100% natural origin

An extract of mimosa flowers used to help condition skin. Made by extracting compounds from the fragrant yellow…

 Acacia Dealbata Flower Wax 100% natural origin

A soft wax from mimosa flowers used to condition skin and add emollience. It is derived directly from…

Structure

2D structure of Retinyl Linoleate

[(2E,4E,6E,8E)-3,7-dimethyl-9-(2,6,6-trimethylcyclohexen-1-yl)nona-2,4,6,8-tetraenyl] (9Z,12Z)-octadeca-9,12-dienoate

PubChem CID 9807563 ↗

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. 2Retinyl Linoleate. PubChem CID 9807563. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3RETINYL LINOLEATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4RETINYL LINOLEATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=RETINYL%20LINOLEATE