Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride — Frequently Asked Questions

It is made from coconut or palm kernel oil. The oil is split into its individual fatty acids, the caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) fractions are separated by distillation, and those two chain lengths are then re-esterified with glycerol. It is therefore a manufactured ester built from natural raw materials, not an oil pressed from a plant, which is why its composition is far more consistent than that of any natural oil.

Rancidity is oxidation at carbon-carbon double bonds. Natural vegetable oils contain unsaturated fatty acids carrying one or more double bonds, and each one is a site where oxygen can attack, producing the odours and colour changes of rancidity. Caprylic/capric triglyceride is built exclusively from saturated C8 and C10 chains, which have no double bonds at all, so there is nothing to oxidise. Shelf life is measured in years and no antioxidant is required.

They are largely the same class of material. Fractionated coconut oil and MCT oil both refer to triglycerides of medium-chain fatty acids, usually C8 and C10, from the same feedstock. Caprylic/capric triglyceride is the INCI name used in cosmetics, and cosmetic grades are typically made to a tighter and more consistent C8 to C10 ratio than nutritional MCT oil. Specify the ratio if the skin feel or viscosity matters.

It acts as an emollient, a solvent and a carrier. It spreads rapidly and absorbs without leaving a greasy film, which makes it useful for lightening the feel of a heavy oil phase. It is also an effective solvent for oil-soluble actives, vitamins, sunscreen filters and pigments, so it is often the vehicle those ingredients are dispersed in before addition. Typical use ranges from about 2 percent up to 50 percent depending on the format.