Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

What Is It?

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride is an oily liquid made from coconut oil. In cosmetics and personal care products, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride is used in the formulation of lipstick, eye makeup, foundations, blushers, perfumes, moisturizers, suntan and sunscreen products and many other products.

Why Is It Used?

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride slows the loss of water from the skin by forming a barrier on the skin’s surface. It is also used to alter the thickness of liquid products.

Scientific Facts

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride is an oily mixed esterAn organic compound formed by the reaction of an acid with an alcohol. composed of caprylic and capric fatty acids derived from coconut oil and glycerin. The desirability of Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride in cosmetics and personal care products is based on its stability, solubility and lack of odor and color.

Safety Information

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) includes caprylic acid, a main constituent of Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, on its list of substances Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS“GRAS” is an acronym for the phrase Generally Recognized As Safe. Under sections 201(s) and 409 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the Act), any substance that is intentionally added to food is a food additive, that is subject to premarket review and approval by FDA, unless the substance is generally recognized, among qualified experts, as having been adequately shown to be safe under the conditions of its intended use, or unless the use of the substance is otherwise excluded from the definition of a food additive.) for use as a direct food additive. Fatty acids including caprylic acid and capric acid are also included on the list of food additives allowed to be directly added to food. The safety of Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride has been assessed by the Cosmetic Ingredient ReviewThe Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) was established in 1976 as an independent safety review program for cosmetic ingredients. The CIR Expert Panel consists of independent experts in dermatology, toxicology, pharmacolgy and veterinary medicine. The CIR includes participation by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration and the Consumer Federation of America. (CIR) Expert Panel. The CIR Expert Panel evaluated the scientific data and concluded that Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride was safe as a cosmetic ingredient in the present practices of use. In 2001, the CIR Expert Panel considered available new data on Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride and reaffirmed the above conclusion.

CIR Safety Review: The CIR Expert Panel acknowledged that Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, when absorbed from the digestive tract, was hydrolyzed and the fatty acids were broken down and further metabolized to either carbon dioxide or long-chain fatty acids. Tests involving ingestion, injection, skin and eye exposure showed that Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride had very low toxicity.

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride did not result in skin or eye irritation, nor was it a skin sensitizer.

FDA: Link to Code of Federal Regulations for Caprylic Acid

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride may be used in cosmetics and personal care products marketed in Europe according to the general provisions of the Cosmetics Regulation of the European UnionUnder the general provisions of the cosmetics regulation of the EU, ingredients appearing on the following function-specific annexes must comply with the listed restrictions and/or specifications: colorants (Annex IV), preservatives (Annex V), UV filters (Annex VI) and other ingredients with specific concentration limits and/or other restrictions (Annex III). Ingredients specifically prohibited from use in cosmetic products are listed in Annex II. Other ingredients listed in the EU cosmetic ingredient database (CosIng) may be used without restrictions..

Link to the EU Cosmetic Regulation:
http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/consumers/product_labelling_and_p…

More Scientific Information

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride the ester of fatty acids normally found in coconut oil and glycerin. It can be hydrolyzed to yield glycerin and mixtures of fatty acids. These fatty acids may serve as raw materials for a variety of other useful cosmetic ingredientss. In cosmetics and personal care products, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride functions as a skin conditioning agent – occlusive and as a viscosity controlling agentMaterials used to alter the thickness of liquid cosmetic products.. It also provides slipperiness and promotes pigment dispersion in finished products.

Resources

Find out more about the regulation of Food Additives by the Food and Drug Administration

Food Ingredients and Packaging: http://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/default.htm

Food Contact Substances: http://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/PackagingFCS/defaul…

Substances Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS): http://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/GRAS/default.htm

Search the Code of Federal Regulations http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/cfrsearch.cfm

EU Cosmetics Inventory http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/cosmetics/cosing/