C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
Also known as Finsolv TN, C12-15 alkyl benzoate, alkyl benzoate (C12-15)
“CIR Expert Panel says: safe as used in cosmetics.”
C12-15 ALKYL BENZOATE (CAS 68411-27-8; trade name Finsolv TN) is a UVCB mixture of benzoic acid esters with C12–C15 fatty alcohols. The CIR Expert Panel assessed alkyl benzoates as a group (IJT 31(6 Suppl):342S-372S, 2012; PMID 23283706) and found them safe in present practices of use and concentration, with no evidence of genotoxicity or carcinogenicity, yielding a clean Finding=S (no qualifying conditions) in the QRT. A 2025 human skin in vitro dermal absorption study (PMID 40504031) found absorbed dose of C12 alkyl benzoate to be low (~2.97%), with complete metabolic conversion within the skin to benzoic acid and aliphatic alcohols — supporting a favorable dermal safety profile and alignment with REACH principles for reducing animal testing. No comedogenicity flag is documented for C12-15 alkyl benzoate in peer literature (contrasting with the isopropyl ester sub-series), consistent with its dry-feel, non-occlusive emollient profile.
Clean Finding=S (Safe, no conditions) from CIR 2012 group assessment — no concentration restrictions required
Lightweight, non-greasy emollient with excellent spreadability and dry-touch skin feel; widely used as an alternative to silicones and heavy mineral oils
Low dermal absorption (~2.97% absorbed dose in human skin in vitro, Dawick et al. 2025) supports favorable systemic exposure profile
No documented comedogenicity concern in peer literature, suitable for acne-prone formulations where heavier esters (e.g., isopropyl myristate) are avoided
Metabolizes in skin to benzoic acid (>93% of absorbed dose per Dawick et al. 2025, PMID 40504031); benzoic acid is a known mild skin sensitizer at high concentrations, though systemic exposure from dermal route is low given the small absorbed dose (~2.97%)
CIR Quick Reference Table (12/2017, revised 07/2018) — C12-15 ALKYL BENZOATE row: Finding=S, Citation=IJT 31(3):342-372 (2012)
“C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate | S | | IJT 31(3):342-372 (2012)”— QRT-122017revised072018.pdf, p. 16