The triglyceride of alpha-linolenic acid, used as an emollient and skin-conditioning ingredient.
What it is
Trilinolenin is the triester of glycerin with alpha-linolenic acid, a polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acid with 18 carbon atoms and three double bonds. CosIng lists it as an emollient, refatting, skin-conditioning and viscosity-controlling 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 INCI name does not reveal whether it was isolated from a plant oil or made by esterification.
Functions
- Skin conditioning – emollient
- Acting as lubricants on the skin surface providing the skin with a soft and smooth appearance.
- Refatting
- Replenishing the lipids of the hair or of the top layers of the skin.
- Skin conditioning
- Maintaining the skin in good condition.
- 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.