Database/Fragrance/Vanillin
Route-dependent · ISO 16128

Is Vanillin natural?

It depends. Most vanillin is built from petrochemical guaiacol, but vanillin made from wood lignin, from ferulic acid or eugenol, or extracted from vanilla is natural origin.

INCI nameVanillin
CAS121-33-5
FormulaC8H8O3 · 152.15 Da
FunctionFragrance
FeedstockAbout 85% of world vanillin is synthesised from…

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
Synthetic from guaiacolpetrochemical guaiacol (from catechol) condensed with glyoxylic acid, then oxidised and decarboxylated0.00~85%
From wood ligninlignosulfonates from wood pulping, oxidised1.00roughly a tenth
Natural vanillinvanilla beans, or fermentation of ferulic acid or clove-oil eugenol1.00a few per cent
Ask your supplier. A batch-specific certificate of origin or bio-based carbon test (ASTM D6866) settles which route applies.

How we scored it

Whole-molecule route split: vanillin made from wood lignin, from ferulic acid or eugenol, or extracted from vanilla beans = 1.00; vanillin built from petrochemical guaiacol = 0.00. Not averaged.
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.

How it’s made

Guaiacol + glyoxylic acid (electrophilic aromatic substitution, para); oxidation and decarboxylation named. The film draws the key step and names the steps after it. Each curved arrow moves one electron pair, and the film ends on the score above.

Where it comes from

About 85% of world vanillin is synthesised from petrochemical guaiacol and glyoxylic acid. Roughly a tenth is made by oxidising lignin from wood pulping, and a small natural stream comes from vanilla beans or from fermenting ferulic acid or eugenol; all of those count as natural origin.

In plain English

A sweet, vanilla-scented flavour and fragrance compound. Most of it is made from petrochemicals, but vanillin made from wood lignin, by fermentation or from vanilla beans is natural origin, so its score depends on the supplier.

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Structure

2D structure of Vanillin

4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde

PubChem CID 1183 ↗

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. 2Vanillin. PubChem CID 1183. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3VANILLIN. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4VANILLIN. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=VANILLIN