The ingredient, explained

Behenic Acid

Behenic Acid has a final cosmetic safety assessment with formulation conditions.

CleansingEmulsifyingOpacifyingSurfactant

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Ingredient guide

What it is and what it does

Docosanoic acid

About this ingredient: EU CosIng ingredient registry (via Open Beauty Facts taxonomy) ↗

Cleansing: Helps remove material from the body surface.
Emulsifying: Helps liquids that do not normally mix form a mixture.
Opacifying: Makes a product less transparent.
Surfactant: Changes surface tension to help a product distribute or interact with other materials.

Function definitions: European Commission ingredient function definitions (SCCNFP/0299/00, pages 16 to 20) ↗

Registry functions describe possible formulation roles, not results for a finished product. A dictionary entry is not an approval or a safety assessment.

A closer look

What the research shows

Safety assessment

The report includes behenic-acid toxicology and gives a conditional cosmetic safety conclusion for the listed ingredients under the described uses, when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.

What this does not tell us

Safety assessment combining exact-member toxicology with group read-across, not a behenic-acid efficacy trial. The conclusion depends on formulation and exposure conditions and does not establish current regulatory status.

Sources for this summary. Published source ↗

Research review checked Oct 1, 2026

Selective exact-identity review of 2 supplied local candidates and the targeted primary-source search recorded below. Bounded review, not a systematic search.