Chapter 11: The supporting cast · Part 4: Opacifiers and pearlisers
Glycol stearate and glycol distearate
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The worst fact: it's mainly there for looks. One of its listed jobs is "opacifying": making the liquid opaque.
Why brands use it: an opaque, pearly look.
Take care if: no specific group.
Comes from: stearic acid joined to ethylene glycol (it's their ester).
Myth check: "It's antifreeze": no. Ethylene glycol is used to make it, but the finished ester is a different, waxy chemical.
Contaminants: nil.
Fair to say: all 485 company reports to the EU said glycol distearate doesn't meet any hazard criteria (for glycol stearate, 267 of 307 did; a minority listed eye irritation), and a 2023 US cosmetic review confirmed glycol stearate is safe.
Correct as of November 2026. What the badges mean
Sources
- Cosmetic Ingredient Review: castor oil and hydrogenated castor oil (2007); styrene/acrylates copolymers (2014); glycol stearate (2023); microbial gums; galactomannans; PEGs (2005).
The full source list is at the end of Chapter 11.