Decanoic acid is a C10, straight-chain saturated fatty acid.
How much products actually contain
No product states its amount yet.
Of the products containing it, 11 list it before the 1% line and 27 after it (usually 1% or less).
Products using this ingredient
12 of 38 confirmed · likeliest to carry enough first · See all 38
SOME BY MIAHA-BHA-PHA Acne Body Cleanser 400g
SOME BY MISOME BY MI AHA-BHA-PHA Acne Clear Body Cleanser 400g
ESFOLIOEsfolio Baking Powder Bouncy Cleansing Foam 150g
ESFOLIOClean Skin Volcanic Ash Cleansing Foam 150g
ESFOLIOEsfolio Aloe Vera Soothing Cleansing Foam 150g
ESFOLIOClean Skin Hyaluronic Acid Peach Cleansing Foam 150g
Harry'sHarry's Exfoliating Facial Cleanser 5.1oz
ESFOLIOClean Skin Collagen Cleansing Foam 150g
ESFOLIOClean Skin Honey Cleansing Foam 150g
ESFOLIOClean Skin Snail Cleansing Foam 150g
SKIN9HARIREVIVE THERAPY A.C CLEANSER
WISELYFresh All-in-One Body Wash
Definition
Decanoic acid is a C10, straight-chain saturated fatty acid. It has a role as a volatile oil component, an antibacterial agent, an anti-inflammatory agent, a plant metabolite, a human metabolite and an algal metabolite. It is a straight-chain saturated fatty acid and a medium-chain fatty acid. It is a conjugate acid of a decanoate. It derives from a hydride of a decane.
Source: PubChem
US FDA substance register · UNII 4G9EDB6V73 · registered name CAPRIC ACID · single chemical substance
Cosmetic roles
Safety & regulatory references
Not classified under Korea’s toxic-substance GHS list · existing chemical substance
Other restriction: ban substances that deplete the ozone layer
Source: EU CosIng ingredient list
Reviewed by CIR: Final Report: Safety Assessment of Fatty Acids and Fatty Acid Salts as Used in Cosmetics
More data — names, identifiers, properties, test records, literature
Official labels & definitions
JCIA labelling name カプリン酸: 本品は、次の化学式で表される脂肪酸である。
Source: JCIA labelling names (Japan)
Names & identifiers
- CAS No.chemical registry number
- 334-48-5
- EC No.EU chemical inventory number
- 206-376-4
- DTXSIDUS EPA chemical ID
- DTXSID9021554
- DTXCIDUS EPA compound ID
- DTXCID201554
- IUPAC
- Decanoic acid
- Molecular formula
- C10H20O2
- Molecular weight
- 172.268 g/mol
Measured properties
- Appearance
- solid
- Colour
- white
- Odour threshold
- 2.2 ppm (2.2~102)
- Melting/freezing point
- 30.5~32 ℃
- Initial boiling point and range
- 270.6 ℃(1013.33 hPa)
- Flash point
- 135 ℃
- Upper/lower flammability or explosive limits
- 5.5 / 0.8 %
- Vapour pressure
- ( &, lt, 0.013 hPa at 25℃)
- Water solubility
- 61.8 ㎎/ℓ (25℃)
- Relative density
- 0.92 (20℃)
- n-Octanol/water partition coefficient (Kow)
- 4.09
- Auto-ignition temperature
- 377 ℃
- Viscosity
- 4.34 cP (50℃)
- Molecular weight
- 172.30
Values measured on the substance itself. The KOSHA data are a reference for writing and reviewing safety data sheets, not a specification for a commercial raw material.
Source: KOSHA safety data sheets (Korea)
What products actually use it for
What the 48 products reported to the US EPA with this ingredient use it for. Products outside cosmetics are included, so the top few rows are its main uses.
- Surfactant (surface active agent)6
- Fragrance6
- Processing aids not otherwise specified5
- Lubricating agent5
- Cleaning agent4
- Flavouring and nutrient4
- Intermediate3
- Emulsifier2
9 other uses
- Soil amendments2
- pH regulating agent2
- Preservative2
- Deodorizer2
- Monomers1
- Fixing agent (mordant)1
- No specific technical function1
- Plasticizer1
- Catalyst1
Source: US EPA CompTox dashboard
Irritation and sensitisation studies
8 skin studies and 4 eye studies are on record.
The study conclusions largely agree (100%). These tests are on the raw material itself; irritation at the amount in a finished product is a different question.
See all 12 studies
- Not likely to be sensitizing
skin sensitisation: in vivo (LLNA) · Screening · according to OECD Guideline 429 (Skin Sensitisation: Local Lymph Node Assay) - Skin Irrit. 2
Skin Irritation · Authoritative - Not classified
Skin Sensitization · Screening - Ambiguous
skin corrosion: in vitro / ex vivo · Screening · other guideline: OECD Guideline 430 (In Vitro Skin Corrosion: Transcutaneous Electrical Resistance Test (TER)) adopted April 2004 equivalent or similar to - Not likely to be sensitizing
skin sensitisation: in vivo (non-LLNA) · Screening · equivalent or similar to OECD Guideline 406 (Skin Sensitisation) - Category 6.3A (Category 2)
Skin Irritation · Read Across - Category 2
Skin Irritation · Screening - Not likely to be sensitizing
skin sensitisation: in vivo (non-LLNA) · Screening · according to OECD Guideline 406 (Skin Sensitisation) - Severe Irritation
eye irritation: in vivo · Screening · OECD Guideline 405 (Acute Eye Irritation / Corrosion) adopted 24 April 2002 according to other guideline: Commission Regulation (EC) No 440/2008, L142, Annex Part B 30 May 2008 according to EPA OPPTS 870.2400 (Acute Eye Irritation) August 1998 according to - Category 1
Eye Irritation · Screening - Eye Irrit. 2
Eye Irritation · Authoritative - Category 8.3A (Category 1)
Eye Irritation · Read Across
Source: US EPA CompTox dashboard
Related literature
- Vortex Fluidic Device-Driven Production of Medium-chain Free Fatty Acids for Organic Cosmetic Ingredients · 2025
- Efficacy Evaluation of Medium-Chain Fatty Acids as Skin and Spatial Repellents Against Aedes aegypti (Diptera:Culicidae) Mosquitoes · 2022
- A gas chromatography–mass spectrometry method for the detection of chlorpyrifos contamination in palm‐based fatty acids · 2021
- Synergistic staphylocidal interaction of benzoic acid derivatives (benzoic acid, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid and β-resorcylic acid) and capric acid: mechanism and verification study using artificial skin. · 2019
- Lauric acid induce cell death in colon cancer cells mediated by the epidermal growth factor receptor downregulation: An in silico and in vitro study · 2019
Linked databases 21
- Australian Industrial Chemicals Inventory (AICIS)
- ChEBI
- ChEMBL
- China inventory of existing ingredients (IECIC)
- EU CosIng ingredient list 2
- JCIA labelling names (Japan)
- Korea Cosmetic Association ingredient dictionary
- Korea toxic substances GHS register (NIER)
- KOSHA safety data sheets (Korea)
- MFDS (Korea) cosmetic ingredient register 2
- NIST Chemistry WebBook
- PubChem
- Tlooto literature search 2 3 4 5
- UniChem cross-reference IDs
- US Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) 2
- US EPA CompTox dashboard 2
- US EPA DSSTox chemical database
- US FDA substance registration (GSRS)
- US FDA Unique Ingredient Identifier (UNII)
- Wikidata
- Wikipedia · Korean · English · Japanese · Chinese