Isopropyl Isostearate

What Is It?

Isopropyl Isostearate is the ester of isopropyl alcohol and stearic acid. It is a liquid. In cosmetics and personal care products, Isopropyl Isostearate is used in the formulation of skin care products and face and eye makeup.

Why Is It Used?

Isopropyl Isostearate acts as a lubricant on the skin’s surface giving it a soft and smooth appearance. It may also act as a binder.

Scientific Facts

Isopropyl Isostearate is made from isopropyl alcohol and stearic acid. Stearic acid is naturally occurring and is found in animal and vegetable fats.

Safety Information

The safety of Isopropyl Isostearate has been assessed by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel. The CIR Expert Panel evaluated scientific data and concluded that Isopropyl Isostearate was safe as a cosmetic ingredient in the present practices of use and concentration. In 2007, as part of the scheduled re-evaluation of ingredients, the CIR Expert Panel considered available new data on Isopropyl Isostearate and reaffirmed the above conclusion.

CIR Safety Review: In addition to the review of data on Isopropyl Isostearate, a summary of the data on chemically similar cosmetic ingredients as such as Isopropyl Stearate, Isopropyl Palmitate, Isopropyl Myristate, and Isopropyl Lanolate was also included in the report as these have been reviewed previously by the CIR Expert Panel and found to be safe at concentrations used in cosmetics and personal care products. These ingredients, including Isopropyl Isostearate, are isopropyl esters resulting from the reaction of isopropyl alcohol with long-chain saturated aliphatic acids. Like Isopropyl Isostearate, cosmetic use concentrations of these ingredients range from less than 0.1% to 50.0%.

A collective evaluation of the data in this report indicates that the isopropyl esters, undiluted or at use concentrations, are relatively harmless, are not significant ocular irritants, induce skin irritation reactions ranging from none to moderate, are not sensitizers or photosensitizers, and are not carcinogenic.

In studies involving healthy human subjects, these esters, undiluted or at use concentrations, produced, at most, slight skin irritation but not sensitization. Based on the information included in the report, the CIR Expert Panel concluded that Isopropyl Isostearate was safe as a cosmetic ingredient in the present practices of use and concentration. If it is made from plants, Isopropyl Isostearate may be used in cosmetics and personal care products marketed in Europe according to the general provisions of the Cosmetics Regulation of the European Union. Ingredients of animal origin must comply with the European Union animal by-products regulations.

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

More Scientific Information

Isopropyl Isostearate is the ester of isopropyl alcohol and isostearic acid. Isopropyl alcohol is often sold as a 70% solution as a disinfectant (isopropyl rubbing alcohol). Isostearic Acid is a mixture of branched chain 18 carbon fatty acids. In cosmetics and personal care products, Isopropyl Isostearate is used as a skin conditioning agent – emollient and a binder.