Database/Antioxidant/Tocopheryl Linoleate/Oleate
Route-dependent · ISO 16128

Is Tocopheryl Linoleate/Oleate natural?

It depends. Fatty acid portion is always natural; tocopherol may be natural (vegetable oil) or synthetic dl-alpha (petrochemical isophytol route).

INCI nameTocopheryl Linoleate/Oleate
FunctionAntioxidant · Skin Conditioning
FeedstockTocopheryl Linoleate/Oleate is made by esterifying tocopherol (vitamin…

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
natural tocopherol + natural fatty acidsvegetable oil distillate tocopherol1.00approx. 45%
synthetic dl-alpha-tocopherol + natural fatty acidspetrochemical isophytol tocopherol0.38approx. 55%
Ask your supplier. A batch-specific certificate of origin or bio-based carbon test (ASTM D6866) settles which route applies.

How we scored it

Tocopherol (430.7 Da) esterified with C18 fatty acid (~281 Da, natural, minus H2O). Natural-tocopherol route: all fragments natural → 1.0. Synthetic dl-tocopherol route: only the fatty-acid fragment natural, ~264/694 ≈ 0.38
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

Tocopheryl Linoleate/Oleate is made by esterifying tocopherol (vitamin E) with linoleic and oleic fatty acids. Tocopherol is sourced either from vegetable oil deodorizer distillate (natural) or synthesised from petrochemical isophytol (dl-alpha, synthetic).

In plain English

An antioxidant ester of vitamin E with fatty acids; the fatty-acid part is always natural, but the vitamin E may be plant-derived or lab-synthesised.

CosIng definition: 3,4-Dihydro-2,5,7,8-tetramethyl-2-(4,8,12-trimethyltridecyl)-2H-benzopyran-6-ol, esters with mixed 9,12-(Z,Z)-decanedienoic acid and 9-(Z)-octadecenoic acid

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