Database/Emollient/Tridecyl Isononanoate
100% petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Tridecyl Isononanoate natural?

No. Both the branched isononanoic acid and the odd-carbon tridecanol are made by the petrochemical oxo process, with no significant natural feedstock route.

INCI nameTridecyl Isononanoate
CAS125804-18-4
FormulaC22H44O2 · 340.6 Da
FunctionEmollient · Skin Conditioning
FeedstockBoth the acid and the alcohol are produced…

How we scored it

Ester of isononanoic acid (branched C9, oxo process, petrochemical) + tridecanol (odd-carbon, oxo process, petrochemical) minus H2O = 340.6; both fragments petrochemical = 0/340.6 = 0.0
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

Both the acid and the alcohol are produced from petrochemical olefins via oxo (hydroformylation) synthesis. There is no commercially significant natural route for either building block.

In plain English

A lightweight ester made by combining a branched synthetic alcohol with a branched synthetic fatty acid, both typically produced from petrochemical feedstocks. Used as a silky, fast-absorbing emollient in skin and hair products.

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Structure

2D structure of Tridecyl Isononanoate

tridecyl 7-methyloctanoate

PubChem CID 9884387 ↗

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. 2Tridecyl Isononanoate. PubChem CID 9884387. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3TRIDECYL ISONONANOATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4TRIDECYL ISONONANOATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=TRIDECYL%20ISONONANOATE