Database/Antioxidant/Tyrosol
Route-dependent · ISO 16128

Is Tyrosol natural?

It depends. Tyrosol occurs naturally in olive by-products and is sold as a natural cosmetic ingredient, but is also made synthetically from phenol as a commodity chemical.

INCI nameTyrosol
CAS501-94-0
FormulaC8H10O2 · 138.16 Da
FunctionAntioxidant · Oral Care
FeedstockNatural-grade tyrosol is recovered from olive mill wastewater…

Why the score varies

This ingredient is made commercially by more than one route, and ISO 16128 scores the feedstock actually used. Without a supplier certificate of origin the value cannot be claimed.

RouteFeedstockNOIShareNotes
Olive extraction/fermentationolive mill wastewater, olive by-products1.00significant in 'natural' cosmetic grade
Synthetic from phenolpetrochemical phenol + ethylene oxide0.00significant in bulk/commodity grade
Ask your supplier. A batch-specific certificate of origin or bio-based carbon test (ASTM D6866) settles which route applies.

How we scored it

Two routes: olive-derived extraction/fermentation (1.0) vs synthesis from petrochemical phenol (0.0); both commercially marketed, dominant share unclear. Headline shows the best route (1.00), as for every route-dependent entry on the site.
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

Natural-grade tyrosol is recovered from olive mill wastewater or produced by yeast fermentation; synthetic tyrosol is made from petrochemical phenol. Cosmetic suppliers market both, so the dominant commercial route cannot be determined with confidence.

In plain English

A natural antioxidant found in olives and olive oil byproducts; also sold as a synthetic version made from petroleum-derived phenol, so its origin depends on the supplier.

CosIng definition: Tyrosol is the organic compound that conforms to the formula:

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Structure

2D structure of Tyrosol

4-(2-hydroxyethyl)phenol

PubChem CID 10393 ↗

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. 2Tyrosol. PubChem CID 10393. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3TYROSOL. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4TYROSOL. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=TYROSOL