Zinc Myristate
Safety Information
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) permits fatty acids, including myristic acid to be directly added to food.
Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety
The safety of myristic acid and its salts and esters (aluminum dimyristate, aluminum isostearates/myristate, aluminum myristate, aluminum myristates/palmitates, calcium myristate, magnesium myristate, potassium myristate, sodium myristate, zinc myristate, butyl myristate, cetyl myristate, decyl myristate, ethylhexyl myristate, ethyl myristate, glyceryl dimyristate, glyceryl isostearate/myristate, glyceryl myristate, isobutyl myristate, isocetyl myristate, isodecyl myristate, isopropyl myristate, isostearyl myristate, isotridecyl myristate, lauryl myristate, methyl myristate, myristyl myristate, octyldodecyl myristate, oleyl myristate, propylene glycol myristate, tetradecyloctadecyl myristate, tridecyl myristate) has been assessed by the Expert Panel. The Expert Panel concluded that myristic acid and its salts and esters were safe as cosmetic ingredients in the present practices of use and concentration.
The Expert Panel recognizes that the salts of myristic acid dissociate to form myristic acid and esters of myristic acid are hydrolyzed to their corresponding alcohols and myristic acid which are then further metabolized. Myristic acid is a digestible constituent of most vegetable and animal fats and is nontoxic when ingested. Following oral exposure, butyl myristate and ethyl myristate were not toxic. dermal exposure indicated that myristic acid and butyl myristate were not irritating. Myristic acid, isopropyl myristate and myristyl myristate were minimally irritating to the eyes. ethyl myristate, glyceryl myristate and isopropyl myristate were not sensitizers. isopropyl myristate was negative in genotoxicity tests and was not carcinogenic.
Based on the structural similarities of these compounds, and the knowledge that in the body similar metabolites are formed, the Expert Panel concluded that myristic acid, aluminum dimyristate, aluminum isostearates/myristate, aluminum myristate, aluminum myristates/palmitates, calcium myristate, magnesium myristate, potassium myristate, sodium myristate, zinc myristate, butyl myristate, cetyl myristate, decyl myristate, ethylhexyl myristate, ethyl myristate, glyceryl dimyristate, glyceryl isostearate/myristate, glyceryl myristate, isobutyl myristate, isocetyl myristate, isodecyl myristate, isopropyl myristate, isostearyl myristate, isotridecyl myristate, lauryl myristate, methyl myristate, myristyl myristate, octyldodecyl myristate, oleyl myristate, propylene glycol myristate, tetradecyloctadecyl myristate and tridecyl myristate were safe as cosmetic ingredients in the present practices of use and concentration.
FDA Code of Federal Regulations for fatty acids myristic acid and its salts and esters may be used in cosmetics and personal care products in Europe according to the general provisions of the Cosmetics Directive of the European Union. If these ingredients are derived from animal sources, they must comply with the European Union animal by-products regulations.
Resources
Zinc Myristate
What Is It?
Why Is It Used?
The following functions have been reported for myristic acid and its salts and esters.
- Anticaking agent – Aluminum Dimyristate, Aluminum Isostearates/Myristates, Aluminum Myristate, Aluminum Myristates/Palmitates, Calcium Myristate, Magnesium Myristate, Zinc Myristate
- Binder – Isopropyl Myristate, Isostearyl Myristate, Tetradecyloctyldecyl Myristate
- EmulsionA mixture of two liquids that normally cannot be mixed, in which one liquid is dispersed in the other liquid as very fine droplets. Emulsifying agents are often used to help form the emulsion and stabilizing agents are used to keep the resulting emulsion from separating. The most common emulsions are oil-in-water emulsions (where oil droplets are dispersed in water) and water-in-oil emulsions (where water droplets are dispersed in oil). stabilizer – Aluminum Dimyristate, Aluminum Isostearates/Myristates, Aluminum Myristate, Aluminum Myristates/Palmitates, Calcium Myristate, Tetradecyloctyldecyl Myristate
- Film former – Tetradecyloctyldecyl Myristate
- Hair conditioning agent – Ethyl Myristate, Isotridecyl Myristate, Lauryl Myristate, Oleyl Myristate
- Opacifying agent – Myristic Acid, Tetradecyloctyldecyl Myristate
- Slip modifier – Magnesium Myristate, Zinc Myristate
- Skin-Conditioning Agent – Emollient – Butyl Myristate, Ethylhexyl Myristate, Ethyl Myristate, Glyceryl Dimyristate, Glyceryl Isostearate/Myristate, Glyceryl Myristate, Isobutyl Myristate, Isodecyl Myristate, Isopropyl Myristate, Isostearyl Myristate, Methyl Myristate, Propylene Glycol Myristate
- Skin-conditioning agent – occlusive – Cetyl Myristate, Decyl Myristate, Isocetyl Myristate, Isotridecyl Myristate, Lauryl Myristate, Myristyl Myristate, Octyldodecyl Myristate, Oleyl Myristate, Tetradecyloctyldecyl Myristate, Tridecyl Myristate
- Surfactant – cleansing agent – Myristic Acid, Potassium Myristate, Sodium Myristate
- Surfactant – emulsifying agent – Potassium Myristate, Sodium Myristate, Glyceryl Isostearate/Myristate, Glyceryl Myristate, Propylene Glycol Myristate
- Viscosity increasing agent – nonaqueous – Aluminum Dimyristate, Aluminum Isostearates/Myristates, Aluminum Myristate, Aluminum Myristates/Palmitates, Calcium Myristate, Magnesium Myristate, Zinc Myristate
Scientific Facts
Myristic acid, also called tetradecanoic acid, occurs naturally in vegetable or animal fats and oils with relatively high levels found in nutmeg, palm oil, coconut oil and butter fat. The salts of myristic acid are formed by reaction with base materials such as sodium or potassium hydroxide. The esters of myristic acid are derived from myristic acid and an alcohol.
Myristic acid is a saturated fatty acid with 14 carbon atoms. in cosmetics and personal care products, myristic acid functions as an opacifying agent and a surfactant cleansing agent. among the salts and esters of myristic acid that may be used in cosmetics and personal care products, isopropyl myristate is most likely to be used. isopropyl myristate, the ester of myristic acid and isopropyl alcohol, is also used in topical medications. in cosmetics and personal care products, isopropyl myristate functions as a binder, and skin-conditioning agent emollient.