Sesquiisostearate ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is used mainly as a lipophilic emulsifier and pigment-dispersing agent, especially in creams, color cosmetics, sunscreens, and cleansing balms. It helps oil phases spread evenly and can support water-in-oil emulsions.
What does Sesquiisostearate do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is used mainly as a lipophilic emulsifier and pigment-dispersing agent, especially in creams, color cosmetics, sunscreens, and cleansing balms. It helps oil phases spread evenly and can support water-in-oil emulsions.
Is Sesquiisostearate clean?
From a clean-beauty perspective, it is generally viewed as low-irritation and not a common sensitizer. Its standing depends on the exact source and manufacturing route, since some standards look closely at synthetic processing and residual impurities.
Is Sesquiisostearate sustainable?
This material is typically made from fatty-acid chemistry that may come from vegetable oils, mixed oleochemical sources, or petrochemical inputs. It is expected to be more biodegradable than silicone or fluorinated film formers, but sourcing transparency matters, especially when palm-linked feedstocks are involved.
Is Sesquiisostearate COSMOS-approved?
COSMOS alignment depends on the full composition and feedstock documentation, so it is not automatically certifiable from the name alone. It fits Green Chemistry better when made from renewable fatty acids and simple esterification chemistry, with good biodegradability and limited solvent burden.
How does Sesquiisostearate work chemically?
Chemically, this is a partial ester built from a branched C18 fatty acid and a polyol or related alcohol backbone, giving it oil solubility, spreading, and interfacial activity. It is typically stable across normal cosmetic pH ranges because it sits in the oil phase, though strong acid or alkali and high heat can gradually hydrolyze ester bonds.
Last updated 2026-05-16