Ethyl Macadamiate as a Nature Derived Silicone Alternative in Personal Care

“Silicone-free” claims continue to grow year over year as consumers seek more naturally derived, sustainable ingredients. Brands are continually looking for silicone alternatives to increase naturality without sacrificing the silky, smooth skin feel provided by silicones. Ethyl macadamiate (derived from macadamia oil) is a light ester that offers consumers a similar product aesthetic and sensory experience to low viscosity silicones, but has the added benefit of being 99.95% nature derived. The macadamia tree is promoted as an alternative crop to small farmers in developing regions of the world since it has a relatively low input requirement, and it can continue to yield seeds for decades. It can consequently provide crops for a variety of industries and allow growers to maximize the benefits of the land while having minimal impact compared to other crops. Ethyl macadamiate is created through the transesterification of macadamia oil with ethanol, yielding a unique blend of fatty acid ethyl esters. The end product is a versatile ester, with a similar skin feel to low viscosity silicones, that increases skin hydration and allows formulators to reduce or replace silicones entirely.