Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride in Skincare: Why It Feels So Light
Caprylic/capric triglyceride is a light, silky emollient, and we rate it. It won't do anything dramatic for your skin, but it helps a formula spread evenly and feel smooth without a heavy film, which is exactly the job you want from it.
What is caprylic/capric triglyceride?
A triglyceride is a fat made of one glycerine molecule attached to three fatty acids. Caprylic/capric triglyceride uses caprylic acid (8 carbons) and capric acid (10 carbons), which are shorter than the fatty acids in most plant oils. Shorter chains give a lighter, more fluid feel than heavier oils such as shea butter or sweet almond oil.
The fatty acids can come from plant oils such as coconut or palm kernel oil, and the source of a particular grade is a question for the brand.
What does it do for skin and in a formula?
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel lists the functions of caprylic/capric triglyceride as skin conditioning agent (occlusive), solvent and fragrance ingredient. In a formula it typically:
- softens and smooths the feel of the skin surface
- helps reduce water loss by forming a light film
- acts as a solvent, helping oil-soluble ingredients disperse through the formula
In short, it's a texture and comfort ingredient, not an active.
Why we use caprylic/capric triglyceride
You'll find it in our Retinol Eye Cream, Night Repair Cream and Antioxidant Elixir. Our formulator uses it as a texture and comfort ingredient: it helps oil-soluble ingredients spread through the formula and keeps the feel light rather than heavy.
Our view: a good emollient is the ingredient you only notice when it's missing. This is one of the good ones.
Who is it good for?
Because it's light, it's used across dry, normal and combination skin types. Anyone who reacts to a coconut or palm-derived ingredient should confirm the source with the brand before using it.
As with any new product, patch test first. Our patch testing guide shows how.
How do you use it?
You use caprylic/capric triglyceride by using a product that contains it, such as an eye cream, night cream or facial oil. Follow the directions on the product.
What does it pair with?
It sits happily alongside other emollients and oils such as jojoba oil, shea butter and squalane. The rest of the formula decides how a product behaves, so judge the whole product rather than one ingredient.
What does the research say?
The short version: well reviewed for safety, not studied as a skin treatment.
The CIR assessment is a safety review, not evidence that the ingredient improves skin. What it tells you is that an independent panel has looked at this ingredient. We don't claim that caprylic/capric triglyceride on its own changes skin condition.
Safety and regulation
In 2022 the CIR Expert Panel (now the Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety) published an amended safety assessment covering 51 triglycerides (25 reviewed previously and 26 for the first time). It concluded they are safe in cosmetics in the present practices of use and concentration described in the assessment.
Caprylic/capric triglyceride is named in the report, and the conclusion applies to it. The report includes concentration-of-use tables; we don't quote a typical percentage here because use levels vary widely between product types.
Caprylic/capric triglyceride in Dope Skin Co products
It's listed in three products:
- Retinol Eye Cream with Vitamin C & Peptides
- Vitamin C Antioxidant Elixir with CoQ10
- Retinol & Peptide Night Repair Cream
A note on names: the eye cream and night cream contain retinyl palmitate (a vitamin A derivative), which is not retinol. Not sure where to start? Take our skincare quiz.
Frequently asked questions
Is caprylic/capric triglyceride safe?
The CIR Expert Panel concluded triglycerides including this one are safe in cosmetics in the present practices of use and concentration.
Where does caprylic/capric triglyceride come from?
It's made from fatty acids and glycerine, which can come from plant oils such as coconut or palm kernel oil. The source of a given grade should be confirmed with the brand.
Is it comedogenic?
There's no rating to quote here. Judge by the whole product and how your skin responds.
Is it the same as MCT oil?
They're related, but a cosmetic ingredient and a food or supplement oil are different products, so don't swap one for the other.
Will it feel greasy?
It's known for a light feel, but the total formula decides how a product feels.
If you are comparing slip and texture, our guide to dimethicone explains how a silicone differs from an emollient like this one.
Related ingredients
Sources
- Fiume MM, Bergfeld WF, Belsito DV, et al. Amended Safety Assessment of Triglycerides as Used in Cosmetics. International Journal of Toxicology 2022;41(3 suppl):22-68. Journal page | PubMed 36189772
