Database/Emollient/Tridecyl Stearate
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Tridecyl Stearate natural?

Mostly. Stearic acid is oleochemical; the odd-numbered C13 tridecyl alcohol chain is a signature of synthetic oxo-process manufacture, not natural fatty-acid biosynthesis.

INCI nameTridecyl Stearate
CAS31556-45-3
FormulaC31H62O2 · 466.8 Da
FunctionEmollient · Skin Conditioning
FeedstockStearic acid from vegetable/animal fat hydrogenation (natural); tridecyl…

How we scored it

Stearic acid (oleochemical, C18) 267.48 Da natural; tridecyl alcohol (odd C13 chain, oxo/synthetic) 199.36 Da petrochemical → 267.48/466.84 = 0.57.
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

Stearic acid from vegetable/animal fat hydrogenation (natural); tridecyl alcohol made by petrochemical oxo (hydroformylation) synthesis, consistent with its unusual odd carbon count. Oxo-alcohol route dominates commercial tridecyl alcohol supply.

In plain English

An emollient ester combining a plant-derived fatty acid with a synthetic branched alcohol. It smooths and conditions skin in creams and lotions.

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Structure

2D structure of Tridecyl Stearate

tridecyl octadecanoate

PubChem CID 35847 ↗

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 Stearate. PubChem CID 35847. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3TRIDECYL STEARATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4TRIDECYL STEARATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=TRIDECYL%20STEARATE