Database/Emollient/Stearyl Heptanoate
Route-dependent · ISO 16128

Is Stearyl Heptanoate natural?

It depends. The seven-carbon fragments in this ester come either from castor oil or from petrochemical olefins, so the value depends on the supplier.

INCI nameStearyl Heptanoate
CAS66009-41-4
FunctionEmollient · Skin Conditioning
FeedstockCastor-derived or oxo-process C7 acid/alcohol esterified with natural…

Why the score varies

This ingredient is made commercially by more than one route, and ISO 16128 scores the feedstock actually used. Without a supplier certificate of origin the value cannot be claimed.

RouteFeedstockNOIShareNotes
castor-derived heptanoic acidheptanal from castor-oil cracking (co-product of undecylenic acid), oxidised to heptanoic acid esterified with natural stearyl alcohol1.00significant (oleochemical C7 producers)stearyl and heptanoyl fragments both natural
oxo-process heptanoic acidheptanoic acid from hydroformylation of petrochemical 1-hexene esterified with natural stearyl alcohol0.70significantthe C7 fragments are petrochemical
Ask your supplier. A batch-specific certificate of origin or bio-based carbon test (ASTM D6866) settles which route applies.

How we scored it

Heptanoic acid (and heptanol) have two commercial routes: castor-oil cracking (natural) and petrochemical oxo synthesis. Stearyl Heptanoate (stearyl-O 269 Da natural + heptanoyl 113 Da): castor route 1.0; oxo route 0.7.
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

Castor-derived or oxo-process C7 acid/alcohol esterified with natural stearyl alcohol.

In plain English

A rich, skin-conditioning emollient ester. Made by combining a coconut or palm-derived fatty alcohol with heptanoic acid, a shorter fatty acid usually produced synthetically.

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Structure

2D structure of Stearyl Heptanoate

PubChem CID 105242 ↗

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. 2Stearyl Heptanoate. PubChem CID 105242. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3STEARYL HEPTANOATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4STEARYL HEPTANOATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=STEARYL%20HEPTANOATE