Stearyl Stearate ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is a waxy emollient and structuring agent that adds cushion, slip, and firmness to creams, balms, sticks, and anhydrous formulas. It can also help improve payoff and reduce a greasy afterfeel.
What does Stearyl Stearate do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is a waxy emollient and structuring agent that adds cushion, slip, and firmness to creams, balms, sticks, and anhydrous formulas. It can also help improve payoff and reduce a greasy afterfeel.
Is Stearyl Stearate clean?
It is generally well tolerated, with low irritation and sensitization potential, and it has little clean-standard controversy. The main considerations are feedstock origin and ensuring cosmetic-grade purity.
Is Stearyl Stearate sustainable?
This material is commonly derived from fatty alcohols and fatty acids that may come from plant, animal, or petrochemical sources, with plant sources often linked to palm or other vegetable oil supply chains. It is expected to be biodegradable and does not raise the same persistence concerns as silicone-based structuring agents.
Is Stearyl Stearate COSMOS-approved?
It is permitted under COSMOS-natural and COSMOS-organic when made from allowed natural-origin feedstocks using approved esterification chemistry. From a Green Chemistry perspective, it aligns best when sourced from renewable oils and made through simple, low-residue processing.
How does Stearyl Stearate work chemically?
The molecule is a long-chain saturated wax ester made from a C18 fatty alcohol and a C18 fatty acid, giving it a high melting, crystalline, oil-compatible character. It is typically used around 1 to 10% for emollience and structure, is oxidation-stable due to saturation, and is more vulnerable to hydrolysis under strongly acidic or alkaline conditions.
Last updated 2026-05-13