Database/Emollient/Tridecane
Route-dependent · ISO 16128

Is Tridecane natural?

It depends. Tridecane is sourced either from petroleum distillate fractions or from decarboxylation of natural myristic acid from coconut oil, giving very different outcomes.

INCI nameTridecane
CAS629-50-5
FormulaC13H28 · 184.36 Da
FunctionEmollient
FeedstockTridecane can be isolated from petroleum distillation as…

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
petroleum distillate fractioncrude oil0.00majority of conventional cosmetic supply
bio-based decarboxylation of myristic acidcoconut/palm kernel oil1.00minority, used for natural-positioned products
Ask your supplier. A batch-specific certificate of origin or bio-based carbon test (ASTM D6866) settles which route applies.

How we scored it

Straight-chain C13 alkane; petroleum-fraction route gives 0 natural carbon, bio-based decarboxylation of myristic acid gives 100% natural carbon. Routes differ entirely, not a fractional blend.
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

Tridecane can be isolated from petroleum distillation as a simple hydrocarbon cut. Alternatively, it can be produced by decarboxylating myristic acid from coconut or palm kernel oil, a route used for natural-positioned emollients.

In plain English

A lightweight emollient that gives products a smooth, dry-touch feel. It can be refined from petroleum, or made from coconut oil fatty acids processed into a plant-based hydrocarbon; both versions are chemically identical.

CosIng definition: Tridecane is the organic compound that conforms to the formula

Natural alternatives with the same function

Structure

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. 2Tridecane. PubChem CID 12388. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3TRIDECANE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4TRIDECANE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=TRIDECANE