Coco caprylate/caprate is an ester derived from coconut fatty acids, caprylic and capric acid. It’s a clear, low viscosity – 11 mPa.s – emollient that’s considered to be non-greasy and light with great play time, spreadability, slip and glide, low drag, and low lubricity. It’s great for reducing the soaping effect. It’s used in make-up to increase colour payoff and bind powders. And it’s used in hair care as a silicone substitute.
It’s considered a medium weight ester, 0.85 grams per millilitre, which means it’s lighter than oils, which tend to be 0.90 and higher, and lighter than water, which is 1. This measurement means that 1 gram of water = 1 ml of water. So 0.85 grams of coco caprylate = 1 ml ester.
(Learn more about specific gravity in this post.)
It has a spreading value of 800 mm2/10 minutes – so it’s medium spreading with a viscosity of 11 mPa.s, so it’s light, about half the viscosity of fractionated coconut oil (aka MCT, CCT).
Find it as part of Vegelight 1214 LC (INCI: Coconut alkanes and coco-caprylate/caprate) – silicone substitute – or on its own.
It’s related to coco caprylate, but this has the caprate ester as well.