Glycol distearate is the diester of

stearic acid Stearic acid ( , ) is a saturated fatty acid with an 18-carbon chain. The IUPAC name is octadecanoic acid. It is a soft waxy solid with the formula . The triglyceride derived from three molecules of stearic acid is called stearin. Stearic acid ...

and

ethylene glycol Ethylene glycol ( IUPAC name: ethane-1,2-diol) is an organic compound (a vicinal diol) with the formula . It is mainly used for two purposes: as a raw material in the manufacture of polyester fibers and for antifreeze formulations. It is an odo ...

. It is mostly commonly encountered in

personal care Personal care products are consumer products which are applied on various external parts of the body such as skin, hair, nails, lips, external genital and anal areas, as well as teeth and mucous membrane of the oral cavity, in order to make ...

products and

cosmetics Cosmetics are substances that are intended for application to the body for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering appearance. They are mixtures of chemical compounds derived from either Natural product, natural source ...

where it is used to produce pearlescent effects as well as a

moisturizer A moisturizer, or emollient, is a Cosmetics, cosmetic preparation used for protecting, moisturizing, and lubricating the Human skin, skin. These functions are normally performed by Sebaceous gland, sebum produced by healthy skin. The word "emollie ...

Synthesis

Glycol distearate may be produced via the

esterification In chemistry, an ester is a compound derived from an acid (either organic or inorganic) in which the hydrogen atom (H) of at least one acidic hydroxyl group () of that acid is replaced by an organyl group (R). These compounds contain a distin ...

of stearic acid (or its esters) with ethylene glycol. It can also be produced by a reaction of stearic acid with

ethylene oxide Ethylene oxide is an organic compound with the chemical formula, formula . It is a cyclic ether and the simplest epoxide: a three-membered ring (chemistry), ring consisting of one oxygen atom and two carbon atoms. Ethylene oxide is a colorless ...

Applications

When forced to crystalize as thin platelets glycol distearate can give liquids and gels a pearlescent appearance. This is often used by the producers of personal care products (e.g.

shower gel Shower gel (also called body wash) is a specialized liquid product used for cleaning the body during showers. Not to be confused with liquid soaps, shower gels, in fact, do not contain saponified oil. Instead, it uses synthetic detergents deriv ...

) to increase the visual appeal of their products. It may also act as a skin moisturizer. Glycol distearate is also commonly used as an embedding agent in microscopy.

References

{{reflist Stearate esters Fatty acid esters Cosmetics chemicals Glycol esters

Synthesis

Applications

See also

References