A saturated C6 fatty acid used as a fragrance and cleansing ingredient.
What it is
Caproic acid is hexanoic acid, a saturated fatty acid with six carbon atoms. It has a strong, characteristic odour. CosIng lists it as a cleansing, emulsifying, cleansing surfactant, fragrance and perfuming ingredient.
Where it is used
Found in a small number of products.
Limits of interpretation
The INCI list shows which ingredients are present, not how much of each. Above 1%, ingredients are listed in descending order of weight; below 1% the order is free.
The INCI name does not reveal whether the material was made synthetically or from natural fats.
Functions
- Cleansing
- Helping to keep the body surface clean.
- Surfactant – emulsifying
- Helping suspensions or dispersions of liquids in a second liquid by reducing the surface tension of the substances to be emulsified.
- Fragrance
- Imparting an odour or taste. Creating a perceivable pleasant smell and/or masking a bad smell.
- Surfactant – cleansing
- Wetting body surfaces, emulsifying or solubilizing oils, and suspending soil (generally, such ingredients contribute to the foaming and lathering properties of cleansing products).
- Perfuming
- Used for perfume and aromatic raw materials.
EU regulation
This ingredient is not listed in the annexes of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 in the CosIng data.