Diisostearyl Malate ●
TL;DR. It is an emollient ester used to add cushion, gloss, and slip, especially in lip products, balms, sticks, and pigmented makeup. It also helps disperse pigments and improves payoff in anhydrous formulas.
What does Diisostearyl Malate do in a cosmetic formula?
It is an emollient ester used to add cushion, gloss, and slip, especially in lip products, balms, sticks, and pigmented makeup. It also helps disperse pigments and improves payoff in anhydrous formulas.
Is Diisostearyl Malate clean?
This ingredient is generally well tolerated, with low irritation and sensitization concern in typical cosmetic use. It is not a common clean-standard restricted-list issue, though final standing can depend on source material documentation.
Is Diisostearyl Malate sustainable?
This material is typically made from a blend of bio-based and sometimes mixed-origin inputs, including malic acid and branched fatty alcohols. As an ester, it is expected to biodegrade, although its branched, oily structure can make breakdown slower than lighter, straight-chain esters.
Is Diisostearyl Malate COSMOS-approved?
It can be permitted under COSMOS-natural when made from approved natural-origin feedstocks and acceptable esterification chemistry. From a Green Chemistry view, it fits reasonably well when renewable inputs are used, with good skin compatibility and no major persistence concern.
How does Diisostearyl Malate work chemically?
The molecule is a high-molecular-weight, branched diester with a polar ester core and long hydrophobic tails, which explains its glossy, cushiony feel and pigment-wetting behavior. It is commonly used in anhydrous systems and color cosmetics at low-to-moderate levels, with good oxidative stability compared with more unsaturated plant oils.
Last updated 2026-05-13