TRIDECYL STEARATE ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is an emollient ester that gives creams, lotions, makeup, and hair products a smooth, cushiony slip. It helps reduce a greasy feel while improving spreadability and skin conditioning.
What does TRIDECYL STEARATE do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is an emollient ester that gives creams, lotions, makeup, and hair products a smooth, cushiony slip. It helps reduce a greasy feel while improving spreadability and skin conditioning.
Is TRIDECYL STEARATE clean?
From a clean beauty perspective, it is generally well tolerated and not a common allergen or sensitizer. The main clean-standard friction is sourcing transparency, since it may be made from plant-derived, animal-derived, or petrochemical feedstocks depending on the supplier.
Is TRIDECYL STEARATE sustainable?
This material is commonly based on fatty acid chemistry, with possible inputs from palm, other vegetable oils, animal fats, or petrochemical fatty alcohols. It is expected to be biodegradable as an ester, but its sustainability profile depends heavily on feedstock traceability and palm certification where relevant.
Is TRIDECYL STEARATE COSMOS-approved?
It can align with COSMOS-natural when made from permitted natural-origin raw materials through allowed esterification chemistry, but petrochemical or non-traceable versions may not qualify. Its Green Chemistry profile is strongest when renewable feedstocks are used and the process avoids high-concern solvents or residues.
How does TRIDECYL STEARATE work chemically?
The molecule is a long-chain fatty ester formed from a C13 fatty alcohol and a C18 saturated fatty acid, which gives it a waxy, lipophilic character and good skin feel. It is typically used as an oil-phase emollient, is stable across normal cosmetic pH ranges, and can help adjust viscosity and payoff in anhydrous systems, emulsions, sticks, and color cosmetics.
Last updated 2026-05-13