C15-19 Alkane
No meaningful concern for most people; irritation is possible but rare.
Also written as: Sugarcane-derived Alkane
What it is
C15-19 Alkane is a branched, saturated hydrocarbon with a dry, slippery feel very close to that of a light silicone. The grades used in European natural and clean-beauty formulations are typically fermented from sugarcane, and it has become a common replacement for dimethicone and for mineral oil derivatives. Chemically comparable material can also be produced from petroleum, and that is where the regulatory nuance below comes from.
How it shows up on a label
The Annex II condition is a manufacturing and documentation requirement on the supplier, not something a consumer needs to check. Any C15-19 Alkane legally on sale in the EU has had to satisfy it.
What it does well
Silicone-like slip from a plant-derived, biodegradable source
It delivers the dry, non-tacky glide formulators previously needed volatile silicones for, while being readily biodegradable and available from renewable feedstock. It is also chemically inert and does not oxidise.
Moderate evidence
Worth knowing
The INCI name does not reveal the feedstock
Plant-fermented and petroleum-derived material carry the same INCI name. The EU restriction below is what keeps unqualified petroleum-derived distillate out of cosmetics, and responsible brands state a sugarcane origin on the pack.
Matters most toPeople avoiding petroleum-derived ingredients.
Where the EU stands
Concentration-restricted
Permitted in cosmetics, but material of petroleum origin is caught by Annex II: entry 875 covers hydrotreated middle distillates (CAS 64742-46-7) and entry 881 covers alkanes of C12-26, branched and linear. Both are prohibited 'except if the full refining history is known and it can be shown that the substance from which it is produced is not a carcinogen'. Sugarcane-derived material is not caught by this.
Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Annex II entries 875 and 881 · source ↗
