Paraffinum Liquidum ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is an occlusive emollient and skin-conditioning agent that helps reduce water loss and adds slip. It is also used as a carrier in balms, ointments, body oils, and protective formulas.
What does Paraffinum Liquidum do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is an occlusive emollient and skin-conditioning agent that helps reduce water loss and adds slip. It is also used as a carrier in balms, ointments, body oils, and protective formulas.
Is Paraffinum Liquidum clean?
Highly refined cosmetic grades are generally well tolerated, very stable, and low in irritation potential. Clean-beauty standards often restrict or exclude it because it is petroleum-derived and depends on strict refining controls for trace residue quality.
Is Paraffinum Liquidum sustainable?
This material comes from nonrenewable petroleum feedstocks. It is not readily biodegradable and has a weaker environmental profile than many plant-derived emollients.
Is Paraffinum Liquidum COSMOS-approved?
It is not permitted under COSMOS-natural or COSMOS-organic standards because it is a petrochemical-derived material. Its Green Chemistry fit is weak due to nonrenewable sourcing and limited biodegradability, even though it is chemically stable and requires little preservation support.
How does Paraffinum Liquidum work chemically?
The molecule is not a single molecule, but a refined mixture of saturated aliphatic and cyclic hydrocarbons with a broad carbon-chain distribution. It is typically used from low single digits in creams to much higher levels in ointments and body oils, and it is pH-independent, oxidation-resistant, and not water-soluble.
Last updated 2026-05-13