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Stearyl heptanoate, the ester of stearyl alcohol and heptanoic acid (enanthic acid), is found in most cosmetic eyeliner.
It is prepared from stearyl alcohol, which may be derived from sperm whale oil or from vegetable sources.
Stearyl heptanoate is added to cosmetics to act as an emollient.
CAS Number: 66009-41-4
EC Number: 266-065-4
IUPAC Names: octadecyl heptanoate
Chemical Formula: C25H50O2
Other names: 66009-41-4, Tegosoft SH, 2M4UGL1NCN, Heptanoic acid, octadecyl ester, EINECS 266-065-4, STEARYL ENANTATE, PELEMOL 187, DTXSID9070379, STEARYL HEPTANOATE [VANDF], DTXCID6044694, STEARYL HEPTANOATE [INCI], UNII-2M4UGL1NCN, SCHEMBL116549, ABTZKZVAJTXGNN-UHFFFAOYSA-N, AKOS037503866, AS-57281, NS00014129, D93551, Q7605536
Stearyl Heptanoate, Stearyl Caprylate, Stearyl Palmitate, Stearyl Stearate, Stearyl Behenate and Stearyl Olivate are waxy solid cosmetic ingredients with similar structures.
These ingredients are esters of stearyl alcohol and acids that differ only in the number of carbons in the chain. In cosmetics and personal care products, Stearyl Heptanoate, Stearyl Caprylate, Stearyl Palmitate, Stearyl Stearate, Stearyl Behenate and Stearyl Olivate may used in the formulation of bath products, eye makeup, lipsticks, rouges, and skin and hair care products.
Why is it used in cosmetics and personal care products?
The following functions have been reported for Stearyl Heptanoate and the related ingredients:
Binder
Emulsion stabilizer
Hair conditioning agent
Humectant
Opacifying agent
Skin-conditioning agent - miscellaneous
Viscosity increasing agent - nonaqueous
Stearyl Heptanoate is the ester of stearyl alcohol and heptanoic acid.
It is often derived from sperm whale oil or from vegetable sources, and is used as an emollient in cosmetics and personal care products.
It is also found in most eye liner products as an emollient and stabilizer.
Stearyl alcohol, or 1-octadecanol, is an organic compound classified as a saturated fatty alcohol with the formula CH3(CH2)16CH2OH. It takes the form of white granules or flakes, which are insoluble in water.
It has a wide range of uses as an ingredient in lubricants, resins, perfumes, and cosmetics.
It is used as an emollient, emulsifier, and thickener in ointments, and is widely used as a hair coating in shampoos and hair conditioners.
Stearyl heptanoate, the ester of stearyl alcohol and heptanoic acid (enanthic acid), is found in most cosmetic eyeliners. Stearyl alcohol has also found application as an evaporation suppressing monolayer when applied to the surface of water.
Stearyl alcohol is prepared from stearic acid or some fats by the process of catalytic hydrogenation. It has low toxicity.
Stearyl heptanoate is an ester of stearyl alcohol and heptanoic acid that functions in cosmetics as a skin conditioning agent and is in the general class of chemicals called stearyl alkanoates. Stearyl caprylate, stearyl palmitate, stearyl stearate, stearyl behenate, and stearyl olivate are stearyl alkanoates with similar chemical structures, toxicokinetics, and functions in cosmetics. These water-insoluble stearyl alkanoates, when metabolized, yield stearyl alcohol and a corresponding fatty acid. The available information supports the safety of all of the related stearyl alkanoates. The Expert Panel concluded that stearyl heptanoate, stearyl caprylate, stearyl palmitate, stearyl stearate, stearyl behenate, and stearyl olivate are safe in the present practices of use and concentration.
USES
Chemicals detected in substances or products (note that these chemicals may be absent from an 'ingredient list' for the product and thus unexpected, but have been detected in product testing studies) Personal care products, including cosmetics, shampoos, perfumes, soaps, lotions, toothpastes, etc
Stearyl heptanoate is an ester of stearyl alcohol and heptanoic acid that functions in cosmetics as a skin conditioning agent and is in the general class of chemicals called stearyl alkanoates.
Stearyl caprylate, stearyl palmitate, stearyl stearate, stearyl behenate, and stearyl olivate are stearyl alkanoates with similar chemical structures, toxicokinetics, and functions in cosmetics.
These waterinsoluble stearyl alkanoates, when metabolized, yield stearyl alcohol and a corresponding fatty acid.
The available information supports the safety of all of the related stearyl alkanoates.
The Expert Panel concluded that stearyl heptanoate, stearyl caprylate, stearyl palmitate, stearyl stearate, stearyl behenate, and stearyl olivate are safe in the present practices of use and concentration.
Stearyl heptanoate, the ester of stearyl alcohol and the fatty acid, heptanoic acid, in the general class of chemicals called stearyl alkanoates, was previously reviewed by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel.
The conclusion that stearyl heptanoate is safe for use in cosmetics in the present practice of use and concentration was based on the available data, including that this ingredient is an off-white waxy solid, soluble in ethanol, mineral oil, and other organic solvents but not soluble in water.
This ingredient does not absorb light in the UVA or UVB region of the spectrum.
Because significant systemic exposure was not expected, given the chemical/physical properties, the focus of the safety assessment was on dermal exposure. Stearyl heptanoate was not a significant dermal irritant and was not a sensitizer in both animal and human studies.This ingredient was not genotoxic in bacterial and mammalian test systems.
No new safety test data were available for stearyl heptanoate, which supported the view that the previous conclusion was still valid for this single ingredient.
In addition, however, the CIR Expert Panel determined that the available safety data described above for stearyl heptanoate can be extrapolated to support the safety of other stearyl alkanoates, including stearyl caprylate, stearyl palmitate, stearyl stearate, stearyl behenate, and stearyl olivate.
This extrapolation is predicated on similar chemical and physical properties which suggested that little dermal penetration of stearyl alkanoates would occur.
Were there any systemic exposure, stearyl alkanoates can be metabolized by esterases in the body to stearyl alcohol and the related fatty acid.
