Database/Perfuming/Veratraldehyde
Route-dependent · ISO 16128

Is Veratraldehyde natural?

It depends. Veratraldehyde is vanillin with one more methyl group; it is mostly natural origin when the vanillin comes from wood lignin or other natural sources and petrochemical when the vanillin is made from guaiacol.

INCI nameVeratraldehyde
CAS120-14-9
FormulaC9H10O3 · 166.17 Da
FunctionPerfuming
FeedstockMade by methylating vanillin with a petrochemical methylating…

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
Methylated synthetic vanillinvanillin from petrochemical guaiacol, methylated with a petrochemical methylating agent0.00majority
Methylated lignin or natural vanillinvanillin from wood lignin or other natural sources, methylated with a petrochemical methylating agent0.91minorityvanillin part 151.14 Da natural of 166.17 Da; the added methyl group is petrochemical
Ask your supplier. A batch-specific certificate of origin or bio-based carbon test (ASTM D6866) settles which route applies.

How we scored it

Vanillin part C8H7O3 151.14 Da + methyl CH3 15.03 Da (from a petrochemical methylating agent) = 166.17 Da. Vanillin from wood lignin or other natural sources: 151.14/166.17 = 0.91; vanillin from petrochemical guaiacol: 0.00.
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 methylating vanillin with a petrochemical methylating agent. Most vanillin is made from petrochemical guaiacol; vanillin from wood lignin makes all but the added methyl group natural origin.

In plain English

A vanilla-like fragrance ingredient, chemically related to vanillin. It is made by adding a methyl group to vanillin, so its natural content depends on whether that vanillin comes from wood lignin or from petrochemicals.

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Structure

2D structure of Veratraldehyde

3,4-dimethoxybenzaldehyde

PubChem CID 8419 ↗

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. 2Veratraldehyde. PubChem CID 8419. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3VERATRALDEHYDE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4VERATRALDEHYDE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=VERATRALDEHYDE