What it is
In the register’s words: “Stearic acid, monoester with glycerol.”
- EU register name (INCI)
- GLYCERYL STEARATE
- CAS number
- 31566-31-1
- EC number
- 250-705-4/286-490-9
What the register lists it for
These are the uses the European Commission’s CosIng register lists for Glyceryl Stearate in any cosmetic, hair roles first. They say why a maker might add it, not what it does in one formula, and they aren’t a safety rating.
- Emollient
-
Oils, butters and similar ingredients that make a surface feel soft and smooth. On hair they coat the strand; many plant oils carry this role.
Register definition: “Acting as lubricants on the skin surface providing the skin with a soft and smooth appearance.”
- Emulsifying surfactant
-
Lets oil and water mix into one cream or lotion and stay mixed. Conditioners and creams rely on them.
Register definition: “Helping suspensions or dispersions of liquids in a second liquid by reducing the surface tension of the substances to be emulsified.”
Where it sits on each label
US labels list ingredients from most to least, except that those at 1% or less may follow in any order. A name near the top is a large part of the formula. A label doesn’t mark where the 1% point falls, so further down, the order says little about how much is in it.
- Rinse-out conditioners 1 label First five names: 1 of 1 Rinse-out conditioners without it
- Deep conditioners 4 labels First five names: 1 of 4 Deep conditioners without it
- Leave-in conditioners 4 labels First five names: 0 of 4 Leave-in conditioners without it
- Stylers 4 labels First five names: 0 of 4 Stylers without it
- Protein treatments 1 label First five names: 0 of 1 Protein treatments without it
- Curl refreshers 1 label First five names: 0 of 1 Curl refreshers without it
Every label, product by product (15)
- Maui Moisture Curl Quench + Coconut Oil Conditioner Rinse-out conditioner 5th of 26 names
- Aunt Jackie's Coco Repair Coconut Creme Deep Conditioner Deep conditioner 5th of 33 names
- Maui Moisture Heal & Hydrate + Shea Butter Hair Mask Deep conditioner 6th of 26 names
- Bounce Curl Ayurvedic Deep Conditioner Deep conditioner 9th of 34 names
- Mielle Rosemary Mint Strengthening Hair Masque Deep conditioner 11th of 37 names
- Bounce Curl Moisture Balance Leave-In Conditioner Leave-in conditioner 6th of 21 names
- Cantu Ultra Moisture Nourishing Leave-In Conditioner Leave-in conditioner 18th of 37 names
- Briogeo Farewell Frizz Rosarco Milk Leave-In Conditioning Spray Leave-in conditioner · listed as Glyceryl Stearate* 19th of 24 names
- Aussie Miracle Curls Leave-In Detangling Milk Leave-in conditioner 18th of 22 names
- Cécred Moisture Sealing Lotion Styler 8th of 48 names
- Innersense Organic Beauty Quiet Calm Curl Control Styler 6th of 31 names
- Maui Moisture Curl Quench + Coconut Oil Curl Smoothie Styler 8th of 28 names
- Aussie Miracle Curls Frizz Free Curl Cream Styler 19th of 25 names
- Curl Junkie Repair Me! Reconstructive Hair Treatment Protein treatment 9th of 22 names
- PATTERN Hydrating Mist Curl refresher 19th of 52 names
Each line runs from the first name on a label to the last; a dot is where this ingredient sits. Makers change formulas now and then; if the list on your bottle differs, go by your bottle.
Your next step
Other emollient ingredients on these labels
- Cetearyl Alcohol 80 labels
- Cetyl Alcohol 45 labels
- Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil 31 labels
- Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil 25 labels
- Stearyl Alcohol 23 labels
- Glycol Distearate 15 labels
- Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate 15 labels
- Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil 14 labels
Updated · The name, numbers and uses come from the European Commission’s CosIng entry (CC BY 4.0); we write the uses in US spelling and put the hair ones first. The labels are each maker’s own. The order rule is the FDA’s Cosmetics Labeling Guide. All our sources are on the Sources page.