Database/Plasticiser/Tricresyl Phosphate
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Tricresyl Phosphate natural?

Mostly not. The central phosphate group is mineral-derived; the three cresol (methylphenol) groups are petrochemical benzene derivatives.

INCI nameTricresyl Phosphate
CAS1330-78-5
FormulaC21H21O4P · 368.4 Da
FunctionPlasticiser
FeedstockMade by reacting phosphorus oxychloride (from mineral phosphate…

How we scored it

Phosphate core (P+4O, mineral-derived) 95 Da natural; 3x cresyl (p-cresol, phenol derivative, petrochemical) 273 Da. 95/368 = 0.26
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

Made by reacting phosphorus oxychloride (from mineral phosphate rock) with petrochemical cresol. The fragment boundary between phosphate and aryl-ester oxygens is an approximation.

In plain English

A plasticiser that keeps nail polish and other films flexible. It combines a mineral phosphate core with three petroleum-derived cresol (methylphenol) groups.

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Structure

2D structure of Tricresyl Phosphate

tris(4-methylphenyl) phosphate

PubChem CID 6529 ↗

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. 2Tricresyl Phosphate. PubChem CID 6529. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3TRICRESYL PHOSPHATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4TRICRESYL PHOSPHATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=TRICRESYL%20PHOSPHATE