Triethylhexanoin is an organic, ester compound with a shorter carbon chain than natural oil. Low smoke point and excellent resistance to low temperatures.

The name describes the structure of the molecule:

• Triethyl indicates the presence of three ethyl groups in the molecule. Ethyl groups consist of two carbon atoms and five hydrogen atoms, contributing to the molecule's lipophilic (fat-soluble) properties.
• Hexanoin refers to the presence of a hexane chain, a six-carbon hydrocarbon, which is part of the molecule's structure. The presence of this chain imparts emollient and moisturizing properties to the molecule, making it useful in skincare products.

Raw Materials Used in Production.

Triethylhexanoin is a synthetic ester derived primarily from fatty alcohols and hexanoic acid. The raw materials include triethyl alcohol and hexanoic acid or other fatty acids.

Step-by-step Summary of Industrial Production Process.

• Esterification reaction between triethyl alcohol and hexanoic acid.
• Refinement of the product to remove impurities.
• Quality control to ensure purity and desired specifications.

It appears as a transparent oily liquid.

What it is used for and where

Cosmetics

A weakly polar emollient and perfumed solvent, derived from glycerol with short carbon chain chemical characteristics, thus akin to natural oil and skin. Improves frost resistance in cosmetics. Used as a toner, face mask in lipsticks, creams.  It has good chemical stability and can be used to improve the solubility of other ingredients in cosmetic products.

INCI functions:

Fragrance. It plays a decisive and important role in the formulation of cosmetic products as it provides the possibility of enhancing, masking or adding fragrance to the final product, increasing its marketability. It is able to create a perceptible pleasant odour, masking a bad smell. The consumer always expects to find a pleasant or distinctive scent in a cosmetic product. 

Perfuming. Unlike fragrance, which can also contain slightly less pleasant or characteristic odours, the term perfume indicates only very pleasant fragrances. Used for perfumes and aromatic raw materials.

Hair conditioning agent. A significant number of ingredients with specific and targeted purposes may co-exist in hair shampoo formulations: cleansers, conditioners, thickeners, matting agents, sequestering agents, fragrances, preservatives, special additives. However, the indispensable ingredients are the cleansers and conditioners as they are necessary and sufficient for hair cleansing and manageability. The others act as commercial and non-essential auxiliaries such as: appearance, fragrance, colouring, etc. Hair conditioning agents have the task of increasing shine, manageability and volume, and reducing static electricity, especially after treatments such as colouring, ironing, waving, drying and brushing. They are, in practice, dispersants that may contain cationic surfactants, thickeners, emollients, polymers. The typology of hair conditioning agents includes: intensive conditioners, instant conditioners, thickening conditioners, drying conditioners. They can perform their task generally accompanied by other different ingredients.

Skin conditioning agent. It is the mainstay of topical skin treatment as it has the function of restoring, increasing or improving skin tolerance to external factors, including melanocyte tolerance. The most important function of the conditioning agent is to prevent skin dehydration, but the subject is rather complex and involves emollients and humectants that can be added in the formulation.

Other uses

Chemical raw material, intermediate for dyes, for synthetic materials.

Commercial Applications

Use in Cosmetics and Skincare Products. Triethylhexanoin is an ingredient used in various cosmetic and skincare products, such as moisturizing creams, lotions, and makeup products.

Emollient Properties. It acts as an emollient, helping to make the skin soft and smooth.

Texture and Skin Feel. Contributes to a silky, non-greasy feel in products, improving their spreadability.

For more information:

Triethylhexanoin studi

Typical commercial product characteristics Glyceryl tri(2-ethylhexanoate)

• Molecular Formula    C₂₇H₅₀O₆
• Molecular Weight      470.7
• Exact Mass    470.360748
• CAS  7360-38-5
• UNII    7K3W1BIU6K
• EC Number   230-896-0
• DSSTox Substance ID  DTXSID00864043
• IUPAC  2,3-bis(2-ethylhexanoyloxy)propyl 2-ethylhexanoate
• InChl=1S/C27H50O6/c1-7-13-16-21(10-4)25(28)31-19-24(33-27(30)23(12-6)18-15-9-3)20-32-26(29)22(11-5)17-14-8-2/h21-24H,7-20H2,1-6H3
• InChl Key      DGSZGZSCHSQXFV-UHFFFAOYSA-N
• SMILES   CCCCC(CC)C(=O)OCC(COC(=O)C(CC)CCCC)OC(=O)C(CC)CCCC
• MDL number  
• PubChem Substance ID    
• SCHEMBL157524
• HS Code   2915900090

Synonyms

• Glyceryl tri(2-ethylhexanoate)
• 1,2,3-Propanetriyl tris(2-ethylhexanoate)
• 1,2,3-propane
• tris-(2-ethyl-hexanoyloxy)-propane
• 2-ethyl-hexanoic acid propane-1,2,3-triyl ester
• Glyceryl tri(2-ethylhexanoate)