Is STEARIC ACID safe to use in EU cosmetics?

STEARIC ACID is listed in the EU CosIng ingredient inventory with no direct annex restriction records linked at this time. Always verify against the current official CosIng database before formulating.

What function does STEARIC ACID serve in cosmetics?

According to the EU CosIng inventory, STEARIC ACID carries the following function designation(s): CLEANSING, EMULSION STABILISING, FRAGRANCE, REFATTING, SURFACTANT - CLEANSING, SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING.

What other records share CAS 57-11-4?

CAS 57-11-4 may appear across multiple EU annex records. The CAS lookup page shows all Annex II–VI entries sharing this identifier, useful for identifying cross-annex regulatory status of the same chemical substance.

How do I check if my formula contains STEARIC ACID?

Use the INCI Checker to screen a full ingredient list across selected markets, or use the substance market comparison to review this identity across all supported market datasets.

InventoryRef 7907015/10/2010

STEARIC ACID

Stearic acid

STEARIC ACID is listed in the EU CosIng inventory, but no direct annex records are linked on this page yet.

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Regulatory evidence by market

No rule for this ingredient has been imported for any of the 13 markets tracked here.

That describes this inventory, not the law. No imported rule is not evidence that an ingredient is permitted: a rule may exist under another name or identifier, or in a dataset not yet imported here.

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Chemical identity and properties

PubChem 2D chemical structure for CAS 57-11-4

CAS 57-11-4PubChem CID 5281

Stearic Acid

Octadecanoic acid is a C18 straight-chain saturated fatty acid component of many animal and vegetable lipids. As well as in the diet, it is used in hardening soaps, softening plastics and in making cosmetics, candles and plastics. It has a role as a plant metabolite, a human metabolite, a Daphnia magna metabolite and an algal metabolite. It is a long-chain fatty acid, a saturated fatty acid and a straight-chain saturated fatty acid. It is a conjugate acid of an octadecanoate. It derives from a hydride of an octadecane. — ChEBI

IUPAC name: octadecanoic acid

Molecular formula: C18H36O2
Molecular weight: 284.5 g/mol
Exact mass: 284.271530387 Da
XLogP3: 7.4
Topological polar surface area: 37.3 Å²
Hydrogen-bond donors: 1
Hydrogen-bond acceptors: 2
Covalent units: 1
Defined stereocentres: 0

Also known as

n-Octadecanoic acidStearophanic acidStearex Beads1-Heptadecanecarboxylic acidPearl stearicCetylacetic acidIndustrene ROctadecansaeure

16 more reported names

StearinsaeureVanicolHydrofol Acid 150Century 1240Glycon DPGlycon TPHumko Industrene RFormula 300Hydrofol 1895Hystrene 7018Hystrene 9718Glycon S-80Glycon S-90octadecoic acidTegostearic 254Tegostearic 255

Open full PubChem record PubChem annotations 3D structure image

External database identifiers

ChEBI:CHEBI:28842
ChEMBL:CHEMBL46403
EPA DTXSID:DTXSID8021642
PubMed:29968805
PubMed:24130033
PubMed:23054717
PubMed:23031696
PubMed:23016367
PubMed:23015562
PubMed:22982110
PubMed:22975500
PubMed:22956328
PubMed:22950964
PubMed:22942682
PubMed:22924263

Retrieved from NIH PubChem on 2026-08-31 by checksum-valid CAS matching. Chemical properties do not replace the regulatory decision on this page.

Inventory details for STEARIC ACID

INCI name

STEARIC ACID

INN name

stearic acid

Description

Stearic acid

Record provenance

Inventory reference: 79070
Imported identity: STEARIC ACID
Source update: 15/10/2010

European Commission CosIng source notes

Annex records for STEARIC ACID

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Key data

CAS

57-11-4

200-313-4

Restriction

—

Function

CLEANSING: Helping to keep the body surface clean.
EMULSION STABILISING: Helping the process of emulsification and improving emulsion stability and shelf-life.
FRAGRANCE: Imparting an odour or taste. Creating a perceivable pleasant smell and/or masking a bad smell.
REFATTING: Replenishing the lipids of the hair or of the top layers of the skin.
SURFACTANT - CLEANSING: Wetting body surfaces, emulsifying or solubilizing oils, and suspending soil (generally, such ingredients contribute to the foaming and lathering properties of cleansing products).
SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING: Helping suspensions or dispersions of liquids in a second liquid by reducing the surface tension of the substances to be emulsified.

Official EU ingredient-name evidence

The ingredient name exactly matches the official 2025 EU glossary of common ingredient names.

#27798 · STEARIC ACID

Ingredients with overlapping formulation functions

SOYBEAN PALMITATEREFATTING, SKIN CONDITIONING - EMOLLIENT

SQUALANEHAIR CONDITIONING, REFATTING, SKIN CONDITIONING, SKIN CONDITIONING - EMOLLIENT

SQUALENEANTISTATIC, HAIR CONDITIONING, REFATTING, SKIN CONDITIONING, SKIN CONDITIONING - EMOLLIENT

STEARETH-10REFATTING, SURFACTANT - CLEANSING, SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING

STEARYL ALCOHOLEMULSION STABILISING, FRAGRANCE, OPACIFYING, REFATTING, SKIN CONDITIONING - EMOLLIENT, SURFACTANT -…

TALL OIL STEROLREFATTING, SKIN CONDITIONING, SKIN CONDITIONING - EMOLLIENT

TALLOW ACIDCLEANSING, REFATTING, SKIN CONDITIONING, SKIN CONDITIONING - EMOLLIENT, SURFACTANT - CLEANSING, SUR…

TALLOW ALCOHOLEMULSION STABILISING, REFATTING, SKIN CONDITIONING - EMOLLIENT, SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING, VISCOSITY…

Additional official and scientific sources

11 external databases to check this identity in

Each link searches that source for this identity. What each source is, and its legal weight

ECHA CHEM / Information on chemicals PubChem PUG REST EU Safety Gate cosmetic product alerts ECHA CHEM US EPA CompTox Cosmetic Ingredient Review safety assessments FDA Global Substance Registration System ILO/WHO International Chemical Safety Cards Japan NITE-CHRIP NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards OECD eChemPortal

How STEARIC ACID appears in the CosIng inventory

The CosIng inventory lists STEARIC ACID as a cosmetic ingredient and this page links it to 0 annex records. The inventory entry captures names and identifiers, while the annex records show where the substance is prohibited, restricted or positively listed in EU cosmetics law.

STEARIC ACID is also tagged with 6 cosmetic functions in the official data. Function labels describe intended use, but they do not replace regulatory review of linked annex records before formulation or labelling work.

Frequently asked questions

STEARIC ACID is listed in the EU CosIng ingredient inventory with no direct annex restriction records linked at this time. Absence of an annex link does not guarantee unrestricted use — always verify against the current official CosIng database before formulating.

According to the EU CosIng inventory, STEARIC ACID carries the following function designation(s):

CAS 57-11-4 may appear across multiple EU annex records. Viewing the CAS lookup page shows all Annex II–VI entries sharing this identifier, which is useful for identifying cross-annex regulatory status of the same chemical substance.

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Use the INCI Checker to screen a full ingredient list across selected markets, or compare this substance across all supported market datasets.

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Source note for STEARIC ACID

This page reproduces the CosIng inventory entry for STEARIC ACID from public European Commission cosmetic ingredient materials and shows linked identifiers even when no direct annex match is currently attached.

Use this inventory page to research STEARIC ACID and compare linked records, but verify restrictions and legal status against the current official source text and law before making regulatory decisions.

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Tools & next steps

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