Myristic Acid ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is primarily a fatty acid building block for cleansing systems, especially when neutralized into soap in face washes, shaving products, and body cleansers. It also helps thicken, stabilize, and add opacity to emulsions and cream formulas.
What does Myristic Acid do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is primarily a fatty acid building block for cleansing systems, especially when neutralized into soap in face washes, shaving products, and body cleansers. It also helps thicken, stabilize, and add opacity to emulsions and cream formulas.
Is Myristic Acid clean?
From a clean-beauty perspective, it is generally well accepted, with low systemic concern and no common restricted-list issue. In high-pH soap systems it can feel drying or increase sting potential for some skin, which is more about formula pH than the molecule alone.
Is Myristic Acid sustainable?
This material is commonly sourced from coconut or palm kernel oil, so traceable palm sourcing matters. It is readily biodegradable and does not raise the persistence concerns associated with many synthetic film-formers or silicones.
Is Myristic Acid COSMOS-approved?
It is permitted under COSMOS-natural and COSMOS-organic when sourced and processed according to the standard. Its Green Chemistry profile is strong when derived from renewable oils through simple splitting and purification, with good biodegradability and low environmental persistence.
How does Myristic Acid work chemically?
The molecule is a saturated C14 monocarboxylic fatty acid with a melting point around 54°C and very low water solubility in its free-acid form. It is often used around 1 to 10% in cleansing or structuring systems, forms sodium, potassium, or amine salts at alkaline pH, and is relatively oxidation-stable because it has no carbon-carbon double bonds.
Last updated 2026-05-15