Stearyl Phosphate ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is primarily an anionic emulsifier and co-emulsifier, helping oil and water phases form stable creams, lotions, and sunscreen emulsions. It can also improve spread, texture, and pigment or UV-filter dispersion.
What does Stearyl Phosphate do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is primarily an anionic emulsifier and co-emulsifier, helping oil and water phases form stable creams, lotions, and sunscreen emulsions. It can also improve spread, texture, and pigment or UV-filter dispersion.
Is Stearyl Phosphate clean?
From a clean-beauty perspective, it is generally acceptable and not a common restricted-list concern. As an anionic material, it can be more sensitizing to compromised skin than very mild nonionic emulsifiers, but it is typically used at low levels in leave-on formulas.
Is Stearyl Phosphate sustainable?
This ingredient is usually made from a C18 fatty alcohol source that may be plant-derived or petrochemical-derived, so sourcing transparency matters. It is expected to biodegrade more readily than persistent silicone or fluorinated materials, though its phosphorus-containing chemistry gives it a more processed sustainability profile.
Is Stearyl Phosphate COSMOS-approved?
It may be permitted under COSMOS-natural when the feedstocks and processing route meet the standard, but it does not usually contribute meaningfully to COSMOS-organic content. Its Green Chemistry fit is moderate, with possible renewable fatty input and biodegradability balanced against chemical phosphorylation and source-dependent traceability.
How does Stearyl Phosphate work chemically?
The molecule is a long-chain C18 fatty ester bearing an acidic it group, which gives it amphiphilic behavior and an anionic character after neutralization. It is commonly used as a low-level co-emulsifier, often around 0.1% to 2%, and performs best in systems where the formula pH and counterions support stable salt formation.
Last updated 2026-05-14