Database/Light Stabilizer/Terephthalylidene Dicamphor Sulfonic Acid
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Terephthalylidene Dicamphor Sulfonic Acid natural?

Mostly. Camphor is made from alpha-pinene in turpentine and the sulfonate groups come from mineral sulfuric acid, so both count as natural origin. Only the terephthalaldehyde-derived aromatic linker, made from p-xylene, is petrochemical. The previous figure divided by the sum of the starting materials rather than by the mass of the product.

INCI nameTerephthalylidene Dicamphor Sulfonic Acid
CAS92761-26-7
FormulaC28H34O8S2 · 562.7 Da
FunctionLight Stabilizer · Uv Absorber
FeedstockCamphor, industrially derived from turpentine alpha-pinene, is sulfonated…

How we scored it

The product is C28H34O8S2, 562.71 Da. Two camphorsulfonic acid units (232.30 Da each) each lose two hydrogens in the condensation, contributing 460.57 Da, while terephthalaldehyde contributes C8H6, 102.14 Da, after both its oxygens leave as water. Natural origin is the camphorsulfonic portion, so 460.57/562.71 = 0.82.
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

Camphor, industrially derived from turpentine alpha-pinene, is sulfonated and condensed with petrochemical terephthalaldehyde. The camphor and sulfonate portions dominate the molecule's mass.

In plain English

A UV filter used in sunscreens, built mostly from pine-tree-derived camphor joined to a small petroleum-based linking group. It absorbs UVA rays as part of a sunscreen's filter system.

CosIng definition: Terephthalylidene Dicamphor Sulfonic Acid is the organic compound that conforms to the formula:

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Structure

2D structure of Terephthalylidene Dicamphor Sulfonic Acid

[3-[[4-[[7,7-dimethyl-3-oxo-4-(sulfomethyl)-2-bicyclo[2.2.1]heptanylidene]methyl]phenyl]methylidene]-7,7-dimethyl-2-oxo-1-bicyclo[2.2.1]heptanyl]methanesulfonic acid

PubChem CID 146382 ↗

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. 2Terephthalylidene Dicamphor Sulfonic Acid. PubChem CID 146382. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3TEREPHTHALYLIDENE DICAMPHOR SULFONIC ACID. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4TEREPHTHALYLIDENE DICAMPHOR SULFONIC ACID. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=TEREPHTHALYLIDENE%20DICAMPHOR%20SULFONIC%20ACID