GET TO KNOW: MYRISTIC ACID IN YOUR

COSMETIC & PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS

By : Yulia Sausan

Have a look at the ingredients list of

your cosmetic or personal care
products. Is there you found myristic
acid among all the substances? If yes,
you don't have to be freak out by the
terminology "acid" attached to it.
Instead, turn it into curiosity as you may
find this substance in any other
personal care products! What is this
component? What role is it play in
cosmetics? Let's deep dive together to
figure it out!

Myristic acid is a common saturated

fatty acid with a long chain and 14-
carbon backbone. It's first discovered
by isolating nutmeg done by Lyon Playfair
in 1814 and continuing to use today[1].
Besides getting it abundantly from
nutmeg and the other methods
Photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels practiced nowadays, myristic acid is
also commonly obtained from the
fractional distillation of hydrolyzed coconut oil, palm kernel oil, or coconut acids [2].

The application of myristic acid is used in various industrial sectors, such as

the food and beverage industry, detergent industry, cosmetic and personal care
industry, and so on. This article will unpeel the usage of this acid solely in the
cosmetic industry.

The CTFA Cosmetic Ingredient Chemical Description described myristic acid

composed of n-tetradecanoic acid (95% minimum), n-hexadecanoic acid (4%
maximum), and n-dodecanoic acid (3% maximum) in its appliance to cosmetic
products[2]. The substance is renowned for its job as a surfactant/cleansing agent,
emollient, emulsifier, and opacifying agent[2].

As a surfactant and cleansing agent, Myristic acid often applied in a facial

cleanser because of its proven ability to wash away oil and dirt while providing
foaming[2]. It's usually getting along with lauric acid to make liquid body soap
products then neutralized with potassium hydroxide. But, when mixing with
palmitic acid and stearic acid, it will produce soap creams, with potassium
hydroxide as well[2].

Opacifying agent as Myristic acid's other trait belongs to its ability to opacifies
clear and transparent cosmetics, which makes it often used in complexion
cosmetics to hides acne and blemishes like concealer and foundation [2].

Despite being a surfactant and an opacifying agent, myristic acid also acts as
an emollient, which means helps to enhance skin hydration by locking in the skin's
moisture and reducing evaporation to the air as most fatty acids did. While as an
emulsifier, myristic acid is served as a thickening agent for skincare products [3].

Besides being applied in personal care products directly used on the skin, it's
also presented in perfumery products as a fragrance ingredient. It will give the
perfume the desired scent with ester synthesis[2].

Despite the widespread existence and undeniable benefits that myristic acid
has to bring to personal care products, does this substance have shabby sides to
consider?

Speaking of cosmetic and personal care products, the functionality of one

substance is not the only thing that we have to watch for. Keep in mind the
products have to make some contact to our skin, so there must be any other crucial
variables to consider, such as its safety assurance for our skin or body.

A published journal by the International Journal of Toxicology in 2010 implied

that this substance is safe as cosmetic ingredients in the current practices of use
and concentration. For instance, the application in soaps and detergents is secure
in the concentration of 0.1-19%, while it's safe to have it in foundations only 0.04-
0.8% in concentrations[4].

Trusted sites like ewg.org also summarized it well for us that Myristic acid
had proven neither likely to be carcinogenic nor toxic to humans, which are two of
many considerate variables in speaking of the safety of cosmetics usage [5], [6].
REFERENCES

[1] Playfair, Lyon (2009). "XX. On a new fat acid in the butter of nutmegs". Philosophical Magazine. Series 3.

[2] Iwata, Hiroshi and Shimada, Kunio (2013). “Formulas, Ingredients and Production of Cosmetics. Technology
of Skin and Hair Care Products in Japan”. Springer, Tokyo. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-54061-8.

[3] Naturals and Organics in Cosmetics: From R&D to the Marketplace. Allured Publishing Corporation. 177-180,
189-201 (2007).

[4] Becker, L. C., Bergfeld, W. F., Belsito, D. V., Hill, R. A., Klaassen, C. D., Marks, J. G., Shank, R. C., Slaga, T. J.,
Snyder, P. W., & Andersen, F. A. (2010). Final Report of the Amended Safety Assessment of Myristic Acid and
Its Salts and Esters as Used in Cosmetics. International Journal of Toxicology, 29(4_suppl), 162S-186S.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1091581810374127.

[5] EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). 2006. EPA Water Disinfection By-Products with Carcinogenicity
Estimates. Last updated: 10 April 2006.

[6] EC (Environment Canada). 2008. Domestic Substances List Categorization. Canadian Environmental
Protection Act (CEPA) Environmental Registry.