Glyceryl Hydroxystearate ●
TL;DR. This ingredient functions mainly as a nonionic co-emulsifier, emulsion stabilizer, and texture builder. It also adds emollient slip and helps structure creams, lotions, balms, and anhydrous systems.
What does Glyceryl Hydroxystearate do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient functions mainly as a nonionic co-emulsifier, emulsion stabilizer, and texture builder. It also adds emollient slip and helps structure creams, lotions, balms, and anhydrous systems.
Is Glyceryl Hydroxystearate clean?
From a clean-beauty perspective, it is generally well tolerated and not a common allergen or restricted-list concern. The main quality check is whether the feedstocks and processing aids meet a brand’s natural-origin criteria.
Is Glyceryl Hydroxystearate sustainable?
This material is commonly made from vegetable-derived fatty materials and glycerin, with castor-derived C18 feedstock often used. It is expected to be readily biodegradable and has low environmental persistence compared with silicone or fluorinated film-formers.
Is Glyceryl Hydroxystearate COSMOS-approved?
It is generally permitted under COSMOS-natural and COSMOS-organic when produced from allowed natural-origin feedstocks using permitted esterification chemistry. It fits Green Chemistry principles reasonably well because it can use renewable inputs, has a favorable biodegradation profile, and does not require highly persistent chemistry.
How does Glyceryl Hydroxystearate work chemically?
The molecule is a nonionic glycerin ester with a saturated C18 fatty chain bearing an additional hydroxyl group, which gives both lipophilic structuring and limited hydrophilic character. It is typically used around 0.5% to 5% as a co-emulsifier or consistency agent, and it is broadly stable in mildly acidic to neutral cosmetic systems.
Last updated 2026-08-29