Myristyl Alcohol ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is a structuring fatty alcohol used to thicken creams, lotions, balms, and hair conditioners. It also adds cushion, slip, and emollient feel while helping stabilize oil-in-water emulsions.
What does Myristyl Alcohol do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is a structuring fatty alcohol used to thicken creams, lotions, balms, and hair conditioners. It also adds cushion, slip, and emollient feel while helping stabilize oil-in-water emulsions.
Is Myristyl Alcohol clean?
From a clean beauty perspective, it is generally well tolerated, low in sensitization concern, and not a common restricted-list ingredient. In richer formulas, it can feel heavy on very congestion-prone skin, but that is a formula-fit issue rather than a broad safety flag.
Is Myristyl Alcohol sustainable?
This material is commonly sourced from coconut or palm kernel oil, though petroleum-derived routes also exist. It is readily biodegradable, with the main sustainability caveat being traceable, responsibly managed tropical oil sourcing.
Is Myristyl Alcohol COSMOS-approved?
It is permitted under COSMOS-natural and COSMOS-organic when derived and processed according to the standard’s rules. It aligns well with Green Chemistry when made from renewable feedstocks through relatively simple reduction or hydrogenation chemistry and when supply-chain certification is in place.
How does Myristyl Alcohol work chemically?
The molecule is a straight-chain, saturated, 14-carbon primary alcohol with a waxy solid profile that melts around the high 30s °C. It is typically used below a few percent as a viscosity builder and sensory modifier, is stable across normal cosmetic pH ranges, and pairs well with emulsifiers, waxes, esters, and conditioning agents.
Last updated 2026-05-13