Database/Film Forming/Sucrose Benzoate
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Sucrose Benzoate natural?

Mostly not. Sugar backbone is natural but most of its final mass becomes petrochemical benzoate ester groups at typical high substitution.

INCI nameSucrose Benzoate
CAS12738-64-6
FunctionFilm Forming · Plasticiser
FeedstockSucrose (cane/beet sugar) is esterified with benzoic acid,…

How we scored it

Sucrose core after ~6 of 8 OH esterified (natural, ~336 Da, DS assumed) vs 6x benzoyl from benzoic acid (petrochemical, ~631 Da). 336/967 = 0.35
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

Sucrose (cane/beet sugar) is esterified with benzoic acid, a petrochemical benzene derivative, to a high degree of substitution for use as a film-former/plasticiser. Exact commercial degree of substitution was estimated.

In plain English

A sugar-based film-former and plasticiser used in hairsprays and coatings. Sugar from sugarcane or beet is heavily coated with a synthetic benzoate ester, so most of its final weight is petrochemical.

Natural alternatives with the same function

Abies Balsamea Resin 100% natural origin

A sticky resin tapped from balsam fir trees, used for its piney scent and to form a thin…

 Acacia Senegal Gum 100% natural origin

The dried gum exuded from the acacia tree, collected by tapping the bark. Used to form a film…

 Albumen 100% natural origin

Egg white. Used in cosmetics to form a film on skin or hair and to help condition them.

 Amorphophallus Konjac Root Extract 100% natural origin

A root extract from the konjac plant that helps form a light film on skin and hair and…

 Astragalus Gummifer Gum 100% natural origin

A natural plant gum, known as tragacanth, harvested from a Middle Eastern shrub. Used as a thickener and…

 Aureobasidium Pullulans Ferment Extract 100% natural origin

An extract of the liquid left after the yeast-like fungus Aureobasidium pullulans is grown on sugars in a…

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. 2SUCROSE BENZOATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3SUCROSE BENZOATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=SUCROSE%20BENZOATE