How we scored it
Cholesterol (C27H46O, lanolin/phytosterol-derived, natural) + stearic acid (C18H36O2, oleochemical, natural), esterified, -H2O; both natural. 1.0.
What counts. ISO 16128-2 scores the atoms that remain in the final ingredient. Reagents, solvents, catalysts and protecting groups used during manufacture leave no mass behind and are not counted.
Where it comes from
Made by esterifying cholesterol (from wool grease, or increasingly from plant sterols via microbial side-chain cleavage) with stearic acid from vegetable oil. Both starting materials are natural origin.
In plain English
An emollient formed by combining cholesterol (from wool grease or plant sources) with stearic acid, a common vegetable fatty acid. Helps soften and smooth skin.
Structure
[(3S,8S,9S,10R,13R,14S,17R)-10,13-dimethyl-17-[(2R)-6-methylheptan-2-yl]-2,3,4,7,8,9,11,12,14,15,16,17-dodecahydro-1H-cyclopenta[a]phenanthren-3-yl] octadecanoate
References
- 1ISO 16128-1:2016 and ISO 16128-2:2017 — Guidelines on technical definitions and criteria for natural and organic cosmetic ingredients and products. ISO, Geneva.
- 2Cholesteryl Stearate. PubChem CID 118246. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
- 3CHOLESTERYL STEARATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
- 4CHOLESTERYL STEARATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=CHOLESTERYL%20STEARATE