OLEIC ACID
Oleic acid, listed as OLEIC ACID, is a long-chain unsaturated fatty acid. It is found naturally in many oils and fats; olive oil is a familiar example of an oil rich in this fatty acid. The name on a label refers to the substance itself, rather than to one particular plant oil.
OLEIC ACID: what it is
Oleic acid, listed as OLEIC ACID, is a long-chain unsaturated fatty acid. It is found naturally in many oils and fats; olive oil is a familiar example of an oil rich in this fatty acid. The name on a label refers to the substance itself, rather than to one particular plant oil.
OLEIC ACID on an ingredient list therefore does not mean that a product contains olive oil. The acid may be separated or obtained from a suitable raw material, and commercial grades can contain different proportions of other fatty acids. The INCI name identifies the ingredient, but by itself does not disclose whether the raw material for that cosmetic came from a plant or animal source.
OLEIC ACID: what it does in cosmetics
Oleic acid can act as an emollient. In everyday terms, it can support slip in a formula and a softer skin feel instead of a rough, dry finish. That makes it useful where the oil phase contributes to the texture and spread of a cosmetic.
It can also help bring oily and water-based components together while an emulsion is being made. In an ex vivo human-skin study, 0.75% oleic acid in a medicated preparation increased diclofenac permeation and changed skin-barrier indicators. That finding concerns drug delivery in that preparation; it does not show that oleic acid in a cosmetic treats acne, dark spots, or wrinkles.
Products containing this ingredient
See which products include it and the name used in each composition.
