Stearyl heptanoate is a chemical compound, the ester resulting from the reaction of stearyl alcohol with heptanoic acid.. It belongs to the general class of chemicals called stearyl alkanoates. It is soluble in ethanol, mineral oil and other organic solvents but not soluble in water.

It is produced industrially from plant sources and from cetacean oil.

The name describes the structure of the molecule:

• Stearyl: indicates the presence of stearyl alcohol, a long-chain fatty alcohol.
• Heptanoate: indicates the presence of heptanoic acid, a carboxylic acid with seven carbon atoms. The ester is formed by combining stearyl alcohol with heptanoic acid.

The synthesis process takes place in different steps:

• Raw material: stearyl stearate  and stearyl heptanoate. Stearyl stearate is an ester of stearic acid and stearyl alcohol, while stearyl heptanoate is an ester of heptanoic acid and stearyl alcohol.
• Reaction of stearyl stearate with stearyl heptanoate in the presence of an appropriate catalyst to form stearyl heptanoate.

What it is used for and where

Cosmetics

Skin conditioning agent - Emollient. Emollients have the characteristic of enhancing the skin barrier through a source of exogenous lipids that adhere to the skin, improving barrier properties by filling gaps in intercorneocyte clusters to improve hydration while protecting against inflammation. In practice, they have the ability to create a barrier that prevents transepidermal water loss.  Emollients are described as degreasing or refreshing additives that improve the lipid content of the upper layers of the skin by preventing degreasing and drying of the skin. The problem with emollients is that many have a strong lipophilic character and are identified as occlusive ingredients; they are oily and fatty materials that remain on the skin surface and reduce transepidermal water loss. In cosmetics, emollients and moisturisers are often considered synonymous with humectants and occlusives.

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.

Used also as emollient and water repellent

Pharmaceutical

Skin conditioning agent

Safety

It is considered safe by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) expert group in its safety evaluation of 11 October 2012. (1).

• Molecular Formula  C₂₅H₅₀O₂
• Molecular Weight     382.7
• Exact Mass   382.38100
• CAS  66009-41-4
• UNII    2M4UGL1NCN
• EC Number   266-065-4
• DSSTox Substance ID  DTXSID9070379
• IUPAC  octadecyl heptanoate
• InChI=1S/C25H50O2/c1-3-5-7-9-10-11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18-19-20-22-24-27-25(26)23-21-8-6-4-2/h3-24H2,1-2H3  
• InChl Key      ABTZKZVAJTXGNN-UHFFFAOYSA-N
• SMILES   CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCOC(=O)CCCCCC
• MDL number  
• PubChem Substance ID      

Synonyms:

• Octadecyl heptanoate

References_____________________________________________________________________

(1) Safety Assessment of Stearyl Heptanoate and Related Stearyl Alkanoates as Used in Cosmetics  Monice M. Fiume, Wilma F. Bergfeld, Donald V. Belsito,  First Published October 11, 2012 Research Article Find in PubMed   https://doi.org/10.1177/1091581812460408