Isopropyl Myristate ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is a lightweight emollient and solvent that improves slip, spreadability, and a dry-silky skin feel. It can also help disperse pigments and oil-soluble actives in creams, lotions, makeup, and sunscreens.
What does Isopropyl Myristate do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is a lightweight emollient and solvent that improves slip, spreadability, and a dry-silky skin feel. It can also help disperse pigments and oil-soluble actives in creams, lotions, makeup, and sunscreens.
Is Isopropyl Myristate clean?
From a clean-beauty perspective, it is generally low-irritation and not a major restricted-list ingredient. The main caveat is skin-feel and breakout potential, as richer ester emollients can be a poor fit for some blemish-prone users.
Is Isopropyl Myristate sustainable?
This material is commonly made from fatty feedstocks that may come from palm, coconut, or other vegetable oils, plus an alcohol feedstock that may be petrochemical or bio-based. It is expected to biodegrade readily, but sourcing transparency matters when palm-derived inputs are involved.
Is Isopropyl Myristate COSMOS-approved?
It can be permitted in COSMOS-natural formulations when made through allowed esterification routes from acceptable feedstocks, but it is not automatically COSMOS-organic content. Its Green Chemistry profile is stronger when the fatty portion is responsibly sourced and renewable, with good biodegradability as a key advantage.
How does Isopropyl Myristate work chemically?
The molecule is a small, branched ester with a long saturated C14 hydrocarbon chain, which explains its low polarity, high spreadability, and dry emollient feel. It is oil-soluble, stable across typical cosmetic pH ranges, and often used in the low single digits to about 10 percent depending on the product format and sensory target.
Last updated 2026-05-13