Esters of crambe seed oil fatty acids and plant sterols, used as an emulsifier and conditioning ingredient.
What it is
Crambe abyssinica seed oil phytosterol esters are, according to CosIng, the complex mixture of esters formed by reacting the seed oil of Abyssinian crambe, Crambe abyssinica, of the cabbage family (Brassicaceae), with phytosterols (plant sterols). CosIng lists them as an emulsifying surfactant and a film-forming, hair-conditioning and skin-conditioning ingredient.
Where it is used
Appears on the ingredient lists of 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 material is a complex mixture of esters, not a single compound.
Functions
- Surfactant – emulsifying
- Helping suspensions or dispersions of liquids in a second liquid by reducing the surface tension of the substances to be emulsified.
- Film forming
- Producing (upon application) a continuous film on the skin, hair or nails.
- Hair conditioning
- Enhancing the appearance and feel of hair. Leaving the hair easy to comb, supple, soft and shiny and/or imparting volume, lightness, gloss, texture, etc.
- Skin conditioning
- Maintaining the skin in good condition.
EU regulation
This ingredient is not listed in the annexes of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 in the CosIng data.