C15-C23 Alkane ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is used as a lightweight emollient and slip agent, helping formulas spread smoothly while giving a dry, silicone-like skin feel. It can also act as a non-polar solvent for oils, waxes, pigments, and certain lipophilic actives.
What does C15-C23 Alkane do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is used as a lightweight emollient and slip agent, helping formulas spread smoothly while giving a dry, silicone-like skin feel. It can also act as a non-polar solvent for oils, waxes, pigments, and certain lipophilic actives.
Is C15-C23 Alkane clean?
From a clean-beauty perspective, it is generally low-odor, low-allergen, and well tolerated, with little irritation concern in typical leave-on use. The main point of scrutiny is source and processing, since grades can be bio-based or petrochemical-derived.
Is C15-C23 Alkane sustainable?
Sustainability depends strongly on feedstock, with some grades made from plant oils or sugar-derived inputs and others from fossil sources. Bio-based grades are typically considered readily biodegradable, while sourcing transparency matters for crop, land-use, and supply-chain assessment.
Is C15-C23 Alkane COSMOS-approved?
It may be permitted under COSMOS-natural or COSMOS-organic when made from approved renewable feedstocks using accepted processing routes, but a petrochemical grade would not align in the same way. Its Green Chemistry profile is strongest when bio-based, readily biodegradable, and produced with efficient hydrogenation or purification steps.
How does C15-C23 Alkane work chemically?
The molecule family is a blend of fully saturated, non-polar carbon chains, which explains its high oxidative stability and low reactivity compared with unsaturated plant oils. It is usually stable across normal cosmetic pH ranges because it does not ionize in water, and it is commonly paired with esters, waxes, oils, and powders to tune spread, cushion, and dry-down.
Last updated 2026-05-14