CALCIUM STEARATE ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is a hydrophobic texture aid used to improve slip, binding, opacity, and anti-caking performance in powders, sticks, and anhydrous formulas. It can also help thicken oil phases and improve water resistance in some formats.
What does CALCIUM STEARATE do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is a hydrophobic texture aid used to improve slip, binding, opacity, and anti-caking performance in powders, sticks, and anhydrous formulas. It can also help thicken oil phases and improve water resistance in some formats.
Is CALCIUM STEARATE clean?
Clean-beauty frameworks generally view it as low concern because it is not a fragrance allergen, preservative, or high-sensitization material. The main quality questions are feedstock origin and trace impurities from industrial-grade material.
Is CALCIUM STEARATE sustainable?
This material is commonly made from long-chain fatty acid feedstocks plus mineral inputs, and the fatty portion may be plant, animal, or mixed-source depending on the supplier. It is expected to biodegrade, but vegetable supply chains may involve palm-derived inputs unless sourcing is specified.
Is CALCIUM STEARATE COSMOS-approved?
It is generally compatible with COSMOS-natural and COSMOS-organic formulations when produced from permitted natural-origin fatty acid and mineral inputs. From a Green Chemistry view, it fits reasonably well because it can be made by simple neutralization or soap-forming chemistry with low solvent burden and good biodegradability.
How does CALCIUM STEARATE work chemically?
Chemically, it is an alkaline-earth metal carboxylate with two C18 saturated fatty-acid carboxylate chains associated with one divalent metal ion, giving a waxy, water-insoluble, hydrophobic solid. Typical use is often below 1 to 5% as a texture, anti-caking, or binding aid, with higher levels possible in powders and sticks, and it is stable under normal cosmetic conditions but can be disrupted by strong acids or strong chelators.
Last updated 2026-05-13