Ingredient glossary / Emulsifier
Stearic acid
On the label: Stearic Acid · Emulsifier
What it is
A fatty acid from vegetable fats used to thicken and, as a soap, to emulsify; gives bar soap and creams their body.
Emulsifiers: Emulsifiers hold oil and water together so a cream stays a cream.
Wikidata: Chemical compound. Q209685 →
In the research
283 PubMed papers mention it with skin, cosmetics or hair; the three most recent:
- Description of Corynebacterium nasorum sp. nov. and Corynebacterium hallucis sp. nov. isolated from human nasal passages and skin · International journal of systematic and evolutionary microbiology, 2026
- Structure-function relationship of a single double bond: the difference in lamellar phase behaviors between ceramides NS and NdS · International journal of pharmaceutics, 2026
- Erratum · Kidney & blood pressure research, 2026
A paper is a paper, not a verdict: titles are listed so you can read them, and a study on cells or mice says little about a cream on a face.
Products whose label lists it
6 on the siteMatched from the ingredient list the supplier printed; the position in the list (first or thirtieth) is on each product page.
Made in the USA
Made in the USA
Made in the USA
Made in the USA
Made in the USA
Made in the USAOther emulsifiers
Dew & Balm describes ingredients from the public record and makes no claim about what a product will do for you. Statements about dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the FDA. If a product causes a reaction, stop using it; a reaction that spreads or affects breathing is a call to a doctor or 911.