Is
Isocetyl Stearate
Isocetyl StearateBarrier
An oil that softens skin.
What it does
It’s branched cetyl alcohols joined to stearic acid, a fatty acid. It’s there for feel, not to change your skin.
The evidence, graded
expert consensusUS safety reviewers (2015) assessed 237 alkyl esters, whose most common job in products is conditioning skin. Isocetyl stearate is made from branched cetyl alcohols and stearic acid, and is listed to soften skin. Concerned that some of these esters could irritate skin, the reviewers judged them safe as used in products made not to irritate. Their conclusion names isocetyl stearate.Fiume 2015 · International Journal of Toxicology 34(Supplement 2):5S-69S (CIR portal copy) ↗
Graded per the methodology: strong · moderate · emerging · expert consensus. A weak source on a strong claim gets the weaker label.
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