Isostearyl Isostearate ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is an emollient ester that adds slip, softness, and cushion while reducing a greasy afterfeel. It is used in creams, balms, lip products, makeup, and sunscreens to improve spread and pigment dispersion.
What does Isostearyl Isostearate do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is an emollient ester that adds slip, softness, and cushion while reducing a greasy afterfeel. It is used in creams, balms, lip products, makeup, and sunscreens to improve spread and pigment dispersion.
Is Isostearyl Isostearate clean?
It has a strong clean-beauty profile, with low irritation and sensitization potential and no common restricted-list concerns. The main quality check is supplier transparency on feedstock origin and residual processing impurities.
Is Isostearyl Isostearate sustainable?
This material is commonly derived from plant-based fatty feedstocks, though some grades may use mixed or synthetic starting materials. It is expected to be readily biodegradable and has low persistence concerns compared with silicone or fluorinated emollients.
Is Isostearyl Isostearate COSMOS-approved?
It can be permitted under COSMOS-natural and COSMOS-organic when made from approved renewable feedstocks using accepted esterification chemistry. It fits Green Chemistry reasonably well because it can be bio-based, biodegradable, and made through a direct reaction with limited byproducts.
How does Isostearyl Isostearate work chemically?
The molecule is a high-molecular-weight, branched C18 fatty ester, which gives a fluid, cushiony skin feel and better low-temperature flow than many straight-chain waxy esters. Typical use levels are about 1 to 10% in skin care and higher in lip or color cosmetics, and it is oil-soluble, pH-insensitive in normal emulsions, and relatively oxidation-stable.
Last updated 2026-05-13