Isostearyl Alcohol ●
TL;DR. This ingredient functions mainly as an emollient and oil-phase texture modifier, adding cushion, slip, and a less greasy skin feel. It can also help with pigment wetting, viscosity control, and emulsion stability in creams, makeup, and anhydrous products.
What does Isostearyl Alcohol do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient functions mainly as an emollient and oil-phase texture modifier, adding cushion, slip, and a less greasy skin feel. It can also help with pigment wetting, viscosity control, and emulsion stability in creams, makeup, and anhydrous products.
Is Isostearyl Alcohol clean?
From a clean beauty perspective, it is generally well-tolerated and not a common restricted-list concern. Sensitivity is uncommon, though any fatty alcohol can occasionally bother highly reactive skin depending on the full formula.
Is Isostearyl Alcohol sustainable?
It can be made from plant-derived fatty feedstocks or petrochemical sources, so sourcing documentation matters. As a long-chain fatty alcohol, it is expected to be biodegradable, with a stronger sustainability profile when renewable, traceable feedstocks are used.
Is Isostearyl Alcohol COSMOS-approved?
It is generally permitted under COSMOS-natural and COSMOS-organic when sourced and processed from allowed natural-origin feedstocks. Its Green Chemistry fit is strongest with renewable inputs, efficient conversion, and good biodegradability.
How does Isostearyl Alcohol work chemically?
The molecule is a branched C18 fatty alcohol, which gives it a liquid, low-melting emollient profile compared with more linear waxy fatty alcohols. It is commonly used around 0.5 to 10% in creams, lip products, color cosmetics, and anhydrous systems, and it is broadly stable across normal cosmetic pH ranges.
Last updated 2026-05-13