Glyceryl Monostearate is a fatty acid ester seen in food, cosmetics, and beauty products (hair and skin) for various uses, including as a: thickening agent, emulsifier, anti-sticking agent, dispersing agent, solvent, greasing agent, and perfume dilutant. It is a Glyceryl Ester; Glyceryl Monostearate specifically occurs naturally in the body and fatty foods and is formed during the breakdown of fats in the body.
When applied topically, its Glycerol constituent makes Glyceryl Stearate a fast-penetrating emollient that helps create a protective barrier on the skin's surface. This helps retain hydration and slow the loss of moisture. This reduced rate of water evaporation helps to lubricate, condition, soften, and smooth the skin. Its protective properties extend to its antioxidant qualities, which help protect the skin against damage caused by free radicals.
When added to natural formulations, Glyceryl Stearate has stabilizing effects on the final product, which means it helps the other ingredients in the formulation continue functioning effectively to exhibit their beneficial properties. In this way, it helps to balance the product’s pH value and thereby prevents the product from becoming overly acidic or alkaline. It also helps increase shelf life, prevents products from freezing or from developing crusts on their surfaces, and it helps lessen the greasy nature of some oils that may be added to cosmetics formulations. In formulations that are oil-based, the thickening properties of Glyceryl Stearate SE help to scale down the need for co-emulsifiers and, in emulsions with big water phases, Glyceryl Stearate can help develop liquid crystal phases as well as crystalline gel phases. As an opacifier, it makes transparent or translucent preparations opaque, thus protecting them from or increasing their resistance to being penetrated by visible light. This also helps to boost or balance the appearance of pigments and improve the final product's density for a luxuriously smooth and creamy texture.
