What It Is
Glyceryl caprylate, also known as glyceryl monocaprylate, is a monoester of glycerin and caprylic acid (a medium-chain fatty acid), commonly listed under CAS 26402-26-6. Both starting materials can be sourced from vegetable oils such as coconut or palm, making it a plant-derived ingredient. It typically appears as a soft solid or liquid used in small amounts.
Common Uses
It is used mainly in personal-care and cosmetic formulas as an emollient and skin-conditioning agent, and it is often included to support a product's preservative system as a multifunctional ingredient. Because it can help stabilize emulsions and improve texture, it appears in creams, lotions, and cleansers. It is less common in general cleaning products.
How It Works
As an ester of glycerin and a medium-chain fatty acid, glyceryl caprylate combines a water-attracting portion with an oil-attracting portion, which lets it condition surfaces and help blend oil and water phases. The caprylic-acid portion also gives it mild antimicrobial activity, which is why formulators sometimes use it to reinforce a preservative system rather than as a standalone preservative. Its multifunctional nature means one ingredient can contribute to feel, stability, and microbial control at once. In practice it is dosed at low levels alongside other functional ingredients.
Safety and Regulation
Glyceryl caprylate is catalogued in cosmetic ingredient databases as a skin-conditioning agent and emollient; the European Commission's CosIng database lists these functions. Its component parts, glycerin and caprylic acid, are well characterized and widely used in food and cosmetics. Because it is typically used at low levels and can support preservation, its role is usually described as a multifunctional or preservative-boosting ingredient rather than a primary preservative. Reference databases such as PubChem provide its chemical identity and structure under CAS 26402-26-6.
Why Natural Flower Power Does Not Use It
We do not currently use glyceryl caprylate. Our products use a benzisothiazolinone (BIT) preservative system, which is the approach we have settled on for our formulas. This entry is here simply to explain what the ingredient is and how it works; its absence from our products is a formulation choice, not a judgment about the ingredient.
Related Ingredients
Glyceryl caprylate is sometimes discussed alongside preservatives such as benzisothiazolinone and phenoxyethanol; for the wider picture see the preservative systems guide.
Sources
- European Commission. Cosmetic Ingredient Database (CosIng): "Glyceryl Caprylate." Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009.
- PubChem, National Library of Medicine (NIH). "Glyceryl monocaprylate," CAS 26402-26-6.
