C10-18 Triglycerides (Butter Pearls)

C10-18 Triglycerides are a fatty thickener, used to boost viscosity, stability, and richness in our formulations.

It is a blend of stearic acid (C18) and palmitic acid (C16)—two saturated (solid) fatty acids that naturally occur in butters like shea, cocoa, mango, and tucuma.

Simply Ingredients sells C10-18 Triglycerides as “Butter Pearls”, which is a very fitting name! Their product appears to be Premier OliPearls by Premier Specialties, Inc. This product is 70–78% palmitic acid and 20–28% stearic acid.

Other manufacturers also make a product with this INCI: LIPOCIRE™ A SG by Gattefossé, MM Wax® 10-18 by MMP International, and DUB CIRE H1 by Stearinerie Dubois.

C10-18 Triglycerides

White pellets

0.5–30% (You can go higher, especially if you live somewhere quite hot)

When added to formulations, C10-18 Triglycerides contributes a rich, silky skin feel.

Slightly fatty—nothing noticeable in finished formulations.

C10-18 Triglycerides tends to slow the absorbency speed of formulations it is added to as it makes formulations feel richer.

45–55°C

C10-18 Triglycerides are oil soluble

C10-18 Triglycerides is included in formulations to make them feel richer, to boost viscosity, to harden/solidify, and to improve stability.

C10-18 Triglycerides is a good way to make a product solid and rich while maintaining good slip.

No, but I sure like C10-18 Triglycerides!

C10-18 Triglycerides only exists as a refined ingredient.

Rich, creamy thickening with beautiful skin feel. Very versatile.

Harder to find than other fatty thickeners, like cetearyl alcohol and stearic acid.

I’d try a blend of cetearyl alcohol and stearic acid; probably 70% cetearyl alcohol and 30% stearic acid? You’ll have to test it yourself and see what works for the particular formulation you’re using.

A pseudo wax, made from hydrogenated oils, could potentially work.

I do not recommend using a true wax, like beeswax or candelilla wax, instead of C10-18 Triglycerides.

Include C10-18 Triglycerides in the heated oil phase of your formulations. It needs to be melted.

Try swapping a different fatty thickener (cetyl, stearic, cetearyl) in a lotion/cream formula you already love with  C10-18 Triglycerides (Butter Pearls) and see what you think 🙂

Stored somewhere cool, dark, and dry, C10-18 Triglycerides should last at least two years.

It is possible for this ingredient to be made from animal sources, but I haven’t found versions made from non-vegetable sources. The product Simply Ingredients sells is made from olives.

100g (3.5oz)

Buy it from an online DIY ingredient supplier. Mine is from Simply Ingredients. The Formulary sells it in the UK.