Database/Emollient/Triethylhexyl Citrate
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Triethylhexyl Citrate natural?

Mostly not. Fermentation-derived citric acid esterified with three petrochemical 2-ethylhexanol groups, which dominate the molecule's mass.

INCI nameTriethylhexyl Citrate
CAS7147-34-4
FormulaC30H56O7 · 528.8 Da
FunctionEmollient · Plasticiser
FeedstockMade by esterifying citric acid, from fermented sugars,…

How we scored it

Citric-acid core C6H5O4 141.1 Da (fermentation, natural) + 3x 2-ethylhexyl C8H17O 387.7 Da (petrochemical). 141.1/528.8 = 0.27.
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 by esterifying citric acid, from fermented sugars, with 2-ethylhexanol, a petrochemical alcohol made from propylene. No natural route to 2-ethylhexanol exists commercially.

In plain English

A plasticiser and skin-conditioning emollient made from citric acid, from fermented sugar, combined with a synthetic petroleum-derived alcohol.

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Structure

2D structure of Triethylhexyl Citrate

tris(2-ethylhexyl) 2-hydroxypropane-1,2,3-tricarboxylate

PubChem CID 95243 ↗

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. 2Triethylhexyl Citrate. PubChem CID 95243. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3TRIETHYLHEXYL CITRATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4TRIETHYLHEXYL CITRATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=TRIETHYLHEXYL%20CITRATE