Polyhydroxystearic Acid (Plant Sourced Fatty Acid

TL;DR. This ingredient is primarily a dispersing agent for mineral pigments and insoluble powders, helping them wet evenly and stay uniformly suspended in oils, anhydrous formulas, sunscreens, and makeup.

What does Polyhydroxystearic Acid (Plant Sourced Fatty Acid do in a cosmetic formula?

This ingredient is primarily a dispersing agent for mineral pigments and insoluble powders, helping them wet evenly and stay uniformly suspended in oils, anhydrous formulas, sunscreens, and makeup.

Is Polyhydroxystearic Acid (Plant Sourced Fatty Acid clean?

It is generally well tolerated, with low irritation potential and little clean-standard controversy. Clean-beauty scrutiny is usually focused on feedstock transparency and residual processing impurities rather than the molecule itself.

Is Polyhydroxystearic Acid (Plant Sourced Fatty Acid sustainable?

This material is commonly made from plant-derived it-acid feedstocks, often linked to castor-origin chemistry. Its ester-rich it structure is expected to be biodegradable and has less persistence concern than silicone-based dispersants.

Is Polyhydroxystearic Acid (Plant Sourced Fatty Acid COSMOS-approved?

It is generally compatible with COSMOS-natural and COSMOS-organic when made from approved renewable it-acid feedstocks via allowed esterification chemistry. From a Green Chemistry view, it aligns well through renewable sourcing, efficient pigment-dispersion performance at low use levels, and a biodegradable it-acid backbone.

How does Polyhydroxystearic Acid (Plant Sourced Fatty Acid work chemically?

The molecule is a polyester-like material formed by self-condensation of hydroxylated C18 it-acid units, giving it both oil affinity and strong particle-surface anchoring. It is typically used at low single-digit levels as a pigment dispersant, is stable in anhydrous and oil-rich systems, and is chosen to reduce settling, clumping, and viscosity drift in mineral dispersions.

Last updated 2026-05-14