Stearic acid is a saturated fatty acid used in a variety of skincare products and cosmetics. In the last few years, stearic acid has become more and more popular in the skincare industry because people began to discover its benefit and specifically search for products that contain it. If you don’t know much about stearic acid and want to look at more info about it and its benefits for the skin, continue reading this article, and we will answer all your questions.
Stearic acid is mainly used to support the scent of the product. It also improves the product’s texture and spreadability. In addition to this, it improves the moisture content of the skin. If you want to get a better understanding of what stearic acid is and how it works, here is a short fact sheet that will surely answer lots of questions.
The good: stearic acid improves the scent, texture, and spreadability of the skincare product in which it is added.
The not-so-good: depending on the source, stearic acid can be vegan or animal-derived. Fats and oils rich in stearic acid are up to 30% more abundant in animal fat compared to vegetable fat. If you don’t agree with animal-derived ingredients, search for cosmetics that contain stearic acid derived from shea butter or cocoa butter.
Who is it for? It works well on all skin types, except for the ones that have an identified allergy to stearic acid.
Synergetic ingredients: it works well with most ingredients.
It is important to know more about the benefits of stearic acid in a formulation, so check out the following list:
- Surfactant. Surfactants are surface-active agents that degrease and emulsify oils. They suspend dirt and attract the oil, dirt, and impurities that accumulate to the skin during the day. It is one of the most important properties of stearic acid and one of the main reasons why so many skincare producers add it to their products.
- Emulsifier. Stearic acid acts as an emulsifier, keeping oil and water-based ingredients mixed together. These ingredients tend to separate, but emulsifiers help to keep them mixed. It stabilizes a product and also improves its longevity.
- Texture. Stearic acid helps provide texture to products such as soaps and candles. It helps harden these products and retain their shape.
- Cleansing. Since stearic acid attracts dirt and oils, it allows them to be rinsed from the skin. It is important to go to sleep with clean skin. Your skin needs time to refresh and get rid of the dirt that accumulates during the day, so never go to sleep with your skin dirty.
- Skin barrier. It helps maintain the skin’s protective barrier and prevents water loss. You know that your skin looks healthy and young if it is hydrated, so water loss is dangerous and lead to wrinkles and aging signs. The skin’s protective ability is vital because it is what keeps it away from bacteria, allergens, and dangerous skin conditions such as dermatitis.
