A tetraester of pentaerythritol and behenic acid, used as an emollient and viscosity-controlling ingredient.
What it is
Pentaerythrityl tetrabehenate is the tetraester of pentaerythritol with behenic acid, a saturated C22 fatty acid; all four hydroxyl groups of the polyol are esterified. CosIng lists it as an emollient and viscosity-controlling ingredient.
Where it is used
Appears on the ingredient lists of a small number of products, such as lip products and other makeup.
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 behenic acid is of plant or synthetic origin.
Functions
- Skin conditioning – emollient
- Acting as lubricants on the skin surface providing the skin with a soft and smooth appearance.
- Viscosity controlling
- Increasing or decreasing the viscosity (thickness) of cosmetics.
EU regulation
This ingredient is not listed in the annexes of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 in the CosIng data.