C13-16 Isoparaffin ●
TL;DR. It functions primarily as a lightweight emollient and solvent, helping dissolve oil-soluble materials and improve glide with a dry, non-greasy skin feel.
What does C13-16 Isoparaffin do in a cosmetic formula?
It functions primarily as a lightweight emollient and solvent, helping dissolve oil-soluble materials and improve glide with a dry, non-greasy skin feel.
Is C13-16 Isoparaffin clean?
From a clean-beauty perspective, it is usually well tolerated on skin but has friction because it is a petroleum-derived synthetic hydrocarbon. Standards that exclude petrochemical-derived emollients or solvents commonly do not align with it.
Is C13-16 Isoparaffin sustainable?
It is typically made from fossil feedstocks, so its sourcing is not renewable. Branched saturated hydrocarbons are generally slower to biodegrade than many plant-derived esters and can contribute to persistence concerns depending on chain length and environmental conditions.
Is C13-16 Isoparaffin COSMOS-approved?
It is not permitted under COSMOS-natural or COSMOS-organic because it is a petrochemical-derived material rather than an allowed natural, naturally derived, or nature-identical input. Its Green Chemistry fit is limited by nonrenewable sourcing and comparatively weak biodegradability, even though it is chemically stable and typically low-odor.
How does C13-16 Isoparaffin work chemically?
The material is a mixture of branched saturated hydrocarbons in the mid-carbon-chain range, which gives high oxidative stability and a light, dry emollient profile. It is used in anhydrous systems, emulsions, color cosmetics, and hair products, and it is broadly pH-independent because it does not ionize or hydrolyze under normal cosmetic conditions.
Last updated 2026-05-13