Emollient

Glyceryl Oleate

A mild plant-based emulsifier and conditioner — glyceryl oleate softens the skin, gives creams a delicate texture, and stabilizes emulsions. It is derived from glycerin and oleic acid from olive or sunflower oil.

emulsifieremollientconditionerplant-based

⚠ Use with Caution

Comedogenic Rating

0/5

Irritation Potential

0/5

What is it?

Glyceryl Oleate (glycerol monooleate, GMO) is a monoester of glycerin and oleic acid (C18:1). In INCI: Glyceryl Oleate. It is derived from plant oils (olive, sunflower). HLB ~3–4 — a lipophilic emulsifier, primarily for w/o emulsions or as a co-emulsifier in o/w systems. A mild surfactant with conditioning properties.

Co-emulsifier, emollient, and conditioner in creams, lotions, and hair products. Improves the texture and skin feel of formulations — eliminates the "heavy" feeling from waxes and thickeners. Also a weak preservative booster due to oleic acid.

Key Benefits

✦

Gentle softening and conditioning of the skin

Glyceryl oleate forms a thin lipid film on the skin's surface — softens, restores smoothness, and reduces TEWL. The effect is particularly noticeable in hand creams and dryness remedies.

◈

Improvement of emulsion texture

As a co-emulsifier, it adds a rich, velvet feel to creams without heaviness. Reduces the "plastic" effect from synthetic polymers and thickeners in clean beauty formulations.

✧

Stabilization and viscosity enhancement

In combination with primary emulsifiers (cetearyl alcohol, glyceryl stearate), it increases the stability and viscosity of the emulsion — reduces the amount of thickeners needed in the formulation.

Suitable for

dry skinnormal skinsensitive skin

Main Actions

✓ emulsification✓ softening✓ conditioning✓ texture improvement

Lipid comfort without therapeutic claims

Glyceryl Oleate can soften the skin and reduce the feeling of tightness, but it does not replace ceramide or NMF-replenishing actives in cases of severely damaged barrier. In formulations for very oily or malassezia-prone skin, the entire composition should be evaluated: the ingredient itself is mild, but it is still a lipid emollient.

CategoryEmollients

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