Database/Antistatic/Tridecyl Salicylate
100% petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Tridecyl Salicylate natural?

No. Salicylic acid is a petrochemical phenol derivative; the odd-numbered C13 branched alcohol is a synthetic oxo-process alcohol, not an oleochemical.

INCI nameTridecyl Salicylate
CAS19666-16-1
FormulaC20H32O3 · 320.5 Da
FunctionAntistatic · Skin Conditioning
FeedstockSalicylic acid, made petrochemically from phenol, is esterified…

How we scored it

Salicylic acid C7H6O3 138 Da (petrochemical) + isotridecanol C13H28O 200 Da (petrochemical oxo-alcohol, odd-carbon) - H2O -> both fragments petrochemical, 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

Salicylic acid, made petrochemically from phenol, is esterified with isotridecyl alcohol, a branched synthetic alcohol produced from propylene via the oxo process. Neither fragment is natural-origin.

In plain English

An ester of salicylic acid with a synthetic branched alcohol. Used as a skin-conditioning and antistatic ingredient, mainly in hair and leave-on products.

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Structure

2D structure of Tridecyl Salicylate

tridecyl 2-hydroxybenzoate

PubChem CID 88191 ↗

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 Salicylate. PubChem CID 88191. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3TRIDECYL SALICYLATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4TRIDECYL SALICYLATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=TRIDECYL%20SALICYLATE