Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
This ingredient keeps popping up in many natural skincare formulas, often misleadingly described as fractionated coconut oil. Now, I don’t know about you, but this certainly doesn’t sound like a lovely natural oil to me. They tend to sound more like Avocado oil or Argan oil etc. Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride doesn’t have a normal oil name. So there’s obviously a lot of confusion about what this ingredient actually is. And confusion about ingredients is what the skincare/cosmetic industry love.. The more confused consumers are about what is in our products the easier it is to pull the wool over our eyes. right?
What Is Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride..
Capric and caprylic acids are saturated fatty acids naturally present in coconut and palm oil. They are considered to be medium-chain fatty acids. Capric acid is also known as decanoic acid and caprylic acid is also known as octanoic acid. To isolate these fatty acids they are separated from the glycerine compound and the other fatty acids present in the coconut or palm oil. This is usually achieved by steam hydrolysis where intense heat and pressure is applied to break apart the structure of the oil. The capric & caprylic acids are then isolated from the other fatty acids and combined together with the glycerine compound by a process called ‘esterification’ to form the ingredient ‘capric/caprylic triglyceride’. This new ingredient has different physical properties than the original oil it came from. It feels dryer, less greasy and is highly stable.
Fractionated coconut oil is created by melting the coconut oil and removing the harder saturated fatty acids as it gently cools back down. Leaving the liquid portion of the coconut oil which consists of the less saturated fatty acids. Ever taken a bottle of olive oil out of the fridge and seen the harder bits floating around? They are the more saturated fatty acids present in the olive oil.
Is Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride Natural
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride is created through a number of complicated chemical reactions and fractionated coconut oil is created through the simple physical process of heating and cooling down. Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride is a much more refined oil than fractionated coconut oil and with refinement comes loss of therapeutic properties. Especially through high heat processes like steam hydrolysis, that’s why everybody shouts about how good their COLD pressed oils are!
For the skincare industry Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride is used to replicate the absorbency of oils like camellia, rosehip, macadamia or hazelnut and to create a silky smooth feel. Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride has a much higher shelf life than most other oils, especially the lighter oils used in serums and is available at a lower price. So it’s great for saving money and increasing profit margins on a product while still benefiting from some really useful properties. But, in our opinion it’s not the real deal and not really a natural oil.
In our Hammam Moisturising Serum we use unrefined organic oils of Rosehip seed, Argan, Jojoba and Macadamia. Not only are these real cold-pressed oils which our body easily recognises, they are quick absorbing, anti-aging, sebum balancing, and full of real plant goodness.
As you may know, Old Faithful use unrefined oils wherever possible because they have a higher therapeutic value that benefits our skin, hair & nail system. Unrefined, organic oils are more expensive, have scent, colour, are less stable and are harder to formulate with. But we think they are worth it. You can learn about our facial skincare products here.
We hope this helps to clear up any confusion you may have about this ingredient and skincare formulas in general. Please feel free to ask any questions in the comments section!
Subscribe To Our Newsletter