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.
| Route | Feedstock | NOI | Share | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| natural d-alpha-tocopherol esterified with linoleic acid | vegetable oil distillate (soy/sunflower) plus vegetable linoleic acid | 1.00 | significant, favored in natural-positioned cosmetics | |
| synthetic dl-alpha-tocopherol esterified with linoleic acid | petrochemical trimethylhydroquinone and isophytol plus vegetable linoleic acid | 0.38 | significant, common industrial default |
How we scored it
Where it comes from
Linoleic acid comes from vegetable oil. The tocopherol portion is either natural d-alpha-tocopherol, distilled from vegetable oil processing byproducts, or synthetic dl-alpha-tocopherol, made from petrochemical trimethylhydroquinone and isophytol.
In plain English
An antioxidant ester combining vitamin E with linoleic acid, a plant-oil fatty acid. The vitamin E part may be naturally sourced from vegetable oil processing or made synthetically in a lab, so the natural content depends on the type used.
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Structure
[(2R)-2,5,7,8-tetramethyl-2-[(4R,8R)-4,8,12-trimethyltridecyl]-3,4-dihydrochromen-6-yl] (9Z,12Z)-octadeca-9,12-dienoate
References
- 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.
- 2Tocopheryl Linoleate. PubChem CID 6442395. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
- 3TOCOPHERYL LINOLEATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
- 4TOCOPHERYL LINOLEATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=TOCOPHERYL%20LINOLEATE