Coconut Alkanes

Coconut Alkanes Description

Coconut alkanes is an ingredient derived from the reduction and hydrogenation of fatty acids from coconut oil. In beauty products, coconut alkanes functions as a solvent and skin-softening emollient.

Alkanes are saturated hydrocarbons (common examples of hydrocarbons in cosmetics include mineral oil and paraffin).

Suppliers of this ingredient describe it as a clear, oily, liquid emollient with a lightweight dry down on the skin similar to the lightweight solvent isodedecane.

It’s often used in tandem with another coconut-derived ingredient, coco-caprylate/caprate. This duo is touted as an alternative to certain dry-finish silicones. Internet searches of coconut alkanes point to headlines about the comedogenicity of this ingredient and claim you should steer clear of it if you have acne-prone skin. In reality, this is a non-substantiated claim that you can ignore—what matters is the total blend of ingredients in the finished formula and how it interacts with your skin. If the overall formula leaves a heavy, occlusive, greasy feel on skin, then yes there’s potential it could clog pores and make breakouts worse, but that would be based on all of the emollient and oil-based ingredients, not just coconut alkanes.