Glyceryl Stearate
TYPE OF INGREDIENT
Emollient, surfactant, emulsifier
COMMONLY FOUND IN
Moisturizers, body wash, creams
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF GLYCERYL STEARATE ?
Glyceryl stearate is a skin-conditioning agent, functioning as an emollient in multiple cosmetic products (e.g., kojic acid). It can be used to combine with other agents, such as medications, to enhance delivery of a compound.
WHAT IS GLYCERYL STEARATE?
Glyceryl stearate is an emollient made from the esterification of stearic acid and glycerol. It is used frequently as a surfactant in the development of nanostructured lipid carriers to deliver compounds to the skin surface in a homogenous cream with appropriate texture.
IS GLYCERYL STEARATE SAFE FOR ALL SKIN TYPES AND TONES?
Glyceryl stearate has been found to be safe for topical application across skin types and tones, yet there are multiple reports of contact dermatitis related to it. As an emulsifier it can be an irritant, and in some studies it has been shown to be a contact allergen. Most notably, it was reported in 31.5% of cases in a review of facial wipe contact dermatitis.
CONTRAINDICATIONS
There is minimal data on contraindications for the topical application of glyceryl stearate, though because of multiple cases of allergic contact dermatitis, products containing it should be used with caution.
Sources:
Amended final report on the safety assessment of glyceryl dilaurate, glyceryl diarachidate, glyceryl dibehenate, glyceryl dierucate, glyceryl dihydroxystearate, glyceryl diisopalmitate, glyceryl diisostearate, glyceryl dilinoleate, glyceryl dimyristate, glyceryl dioleate, glyceryl diricinoleate, glyceryl dipalmitate, glyceryl dipalmitoleate, glyceryl distearate, glyceryl palmitate lactate, glyceryl stearate citrate, glyceryl stearate lactate, and glyceryl stearate succinate. Int J Toxicol. 2007;26 Suppl 3:1-30.
Aschenbeck KA, Warshaw EM. Allergenic Ingredients in Facial Wet Wipes. Dermatitis. 2017;28(6):353-359.
Bárány E, Lindberg M, Lodén M. Unexpected skin barrier influence from nonionic emulsifiers. Int J Pharm. 2000;195(1-2):189-195.
de Groot AC, van der Meeren HL, Weyland JW. Cosmetic allergy from stearic acid and glyceryl stearate. Contact Dermatitis. 1988;19(1):77-78.
Ferreira VTP, Infante VHP, Felippim EC, Campos PMBGM. Application of Factorial Design and Rheology to the Development of Photoprotective Formulations. AAPS PharmSciTech. 2020;21(2):46. Published 2020 Jan 3.
Final report of the amended safety assessment of Glyceryl Laurate, Glyceryl Laurate SE, Glyceryl Laurate/Oleate, Glyceryl Adipate, Glyceryl Alginate, Glyceryl Arachidate, Glyceryl Arachidonate, Glyceryl Behenate, Glyceryl Caprate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Glyceryl Caprylate/Caprate, Glyceryl Citrate/Lactate/Linoleate/Oleate, Glyceryl Cocoate, Glyceryl Collagenate, Glyceryl Erucate, Glyceryl Hydrogenated Rosinate, Glyceryl Hydrogenated Soyate, Glyceryl Hydroxystearate, Glyceryl Isopalmitate, Glyceryl Isostearate, Glyceryl Isostearate/Myristate, Glyceryl Isostearates, Glyceryl Lanolate, Glyceryl Linoleate, Glyceryl Linolenate, Glyceryl Montanate, Glyceryl Myristate, Glyceryl Isotridecanoate/Stearate/Adipate, Glyceryl Oleate SE, Glyceryl Oleate/Elaidate, Glyceryl Palmitate, Glyceryl Palmitate/Stearate, Glyceryl Palmitoleate, Glyceryl Pentadecanoate, Glyceryl Polyacrylate, Glyceryl Rosinate, Glyceryl Sesquioleate, Glyceryl/Sorbitol Oleate/Hydroxystearate, Glyceryl Stearate/Acetate, Glyceryl Stearate/Maleate, Glyceryl Tallowate, Glyceryl Thiopropionate, and Glyceryl Undecylenate. Int J Toxicol. 2004;23 Suppl 2:55-94.
Gupta S, Wairkar S, Bhatt LK. Isotretinoin and α-tocopherol acetate-loaded solid lipid nanoparticle topical gel for the treatment of acne. J Microencapsul. 2020;37(8):557-565.
Jain H, Devabattula G, Bhat A, et al. Topical delivery of Bruton’s tyrosine kinase inhibitor and curcumin-loaded nanostructured lipid carrier gel: Repurposing strategy for the psoriasis management. Pharm Dev Technol. 2022;27(9):975-988.
Khezri K, Saeedi M, Morteza-Semnani K, Akbari J, Hedayatizadeh-Omran A. A promising and effective platform for delivering hydrophilic depigmenting agents in the treatment of cutaneous hyperpigmentation: kojic acid nanostructured lipid carrier. Artif Cells Nanomed Biotechnol. 2021;49(1):38-47.
Moldovan M, Lahmar A, Bogdan C, Părăuan S, Tomuţă I, Crişan M. Formulation and evaluation of a water-in-oil cream containing herbal active ingredients and ferulic acid. Clujul Med. 2017;90(2):212-219.
Schwartzberg S. Allergic eczematous contact dermatitis caused by sensitization to glyceryl monostearate. Ann Allergy. 1961;19:402-403.
