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

Is Tridecyl Trimellitate natural?

No. The aromatic trimellitic acid core and the branched synthetic tridecyl alcohol chains are both petrochemical.

INCI nameTridecyl Trimellitate
CAS94109-09-8
FormulaC39H66O6 · 630.9 Da
FunctionEmollient · Skin Conditioning
FeedstockMade from trimellitic acid, produced by oxidising petrochemical…

How we scored it

Trimellitic acid (aromatic, from petrochemical pseudocumene) triesterified with isotridecyl alcohol (branched synthetic oxo-alcohol) — 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

Made from trimellitic acid, produced by oxidising petrochemical pseudocumene, esterified with isotridecyl alcohol, a branched synthetic alcohol made from propylene oligomers. No natural-origin route is used commercially.

In plain English

A silky emollient ester made from a petroleum-derived aromatic acid and a synthetic branched alcohol. It gives lotions and makeup a smooth, lightweight after-feel.

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Structure

2D structure of Tridecyl Trimellitate

tris-decyl benzene-1,2,4-tricarboxylate

PubChem CID 61333 ↗

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 Trimellitate. PubChem CID 61333. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3TRIDECYL TRIMELLITATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4TRIDECYL TRIMELLITATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=TRIDECYL%20TRIMELLITATE