Tristearyl Citrate ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is primarily an emollient and skin-conditioning ester that adds cushion, slip, and a waxy feel to creams, balms, sticks, and color cosmetics. It can also support texture, structure, and dispersion of oils and pigments.
What does Tristearyl Citrate do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is primarily an emollient and skin-conditioning ester that adds cushion, slip, and a waxy feel to creams, balms, sticks, and color cosmetics. It can also support texture, structure, and dispersion of oils and pigments.
Is Tristearyl Citrate clean?
From a clean-beauty perspective, it is generally low-friction, with low irritation potential and no major restricted-list pattern. The main quality consideration is standard ester purity, including low residual starting materials and good odor control.
Is Tristearyl Citrate sustainable?
This material is commonly made from fatty alcohols and an acid building block that can be sourced from plant or fermentation routes, although supply-chain quality depends on the feedstocks used. It is expected to be biodegradable as an ester and is not known for high environmental persistence.
Is Tristearyl Citrate COSMOS-approved?
It can align with COSMOS-natural and COSMOS-organic standards when made from approved natural-origin feedstocks using compliant esterification chemistry. From a Green Chemistry lens, it scores well when renewable inputs are used, with a relatively simple synthesis and a biodegradable ester profile.
How does Tristearyl Citrate work chemically?
The molecule is a triester, built from a three-acid core esterified with three long C18 fatty chains, giving it a high-melting, wax-like, oil-compatible character. It is typically used at low single-digit levels for sensory modification or higher levels in anhydrous sticks and balms, and it is generally stable in neutral to mildly acidic oil phases.
Last updated 2026-05-16