Stearic Acid (Thickener & Hardener) - Essentially Natural

R59.00

1 in stock — ready to ship

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INCI: Stearic acid

Essentially Natural Stearic Acid is a plant-derived fatty acid used to harden and thicken cosmetic and home care products. It is a staple ingredient for improving the structure of soaps, candles, body butters, and solid bars, especially in warm climates where extra firmness helps prevent softening. In emulsions, it contributes to viscosity and a richer feel, and in cleansing systems it can support creamy foam and texture. This flake-form stearic acid is triple pressed and sourced from RSPO certified palm.

This product is certified: Vegan and Beauty Without Cruelty.

Key properties

INCI: Stearic Acid
Format: Flakes, triple pressed
Function: Thickener, hardener, structurant, texture support
Melting Point: Approx. 60°C
Palm Status: RSPO Certified palm sources
Certification: ECOCERT and COSMOS Approved
Size Options: 250g, 500g, 1kg, 5kg, 10kg or 25kg.
Product standards: Vegan; Beauty Without Cruelty

What it’s used for

This product is commonly used to:

Harden soaps, solid cleansing bars, and candles
Improve heat stability in body butters and anhydrous balms
Build viscosity and body in creams, lotions, and emulsions
Support creamy textures in shave and cleanser style formulas

Who it’s for

This product is suitable for:

Soap and candle makers needing firmer, more stable products
Formulators building structure in balms, butters, and solid bars
Emulsion makers wanting added thickness and body

This product is not for:

Formulas requiring a fully palm-free ingredient list
Water-only products with no oil phase
Anyone wanting a ready-to-use finished product rather than a raw material

How to use

As a Hardener in Anhydrous Products: Melt into the oil phase, then cool to set.
As a Soap or Candle Structurant: Melt with your chosen fats or waxes and blend thoroughly.
As an Emulsion Thickener: Add to the oil phase and heat until fully melted before emulsifying.
Processing Tip: Small changes in percentage can significantly change firmness, test in small batches.

Safety instructions

For external use only
Avoid inhaling dust and avoid contact with eyes
Use appropriate heat safety when melting
Store sealed in a cool, dry place away from heat
Keep out of reach of children and pets

FAQs

Q: Why is it called “triple pressed”?
A: It refers to a processing method used to refine and standardise the fatty acid.

Q: Can it make my body butter feel waxy?
A: At higher levels it can increase firmness and drag, so adjust percentage to suit your desired feel.

Q: Is it vegan?
A: This grade is manufactured from 100% plant oils.

View full details

Quality

Love this, made a difference to my soaps I make.
Good quality and pricing.

Great service!

Quality products and super efficient service, as always.

Spread on smooth

I absolutely love this product. It has elevated my creams to another level with better consistency and smoothness.

Stearic Acid review

I think the word 'acid' is a misnomer. I have used it in a sugar scrub and shaving cream and it blends in so well.

Stearic acid review

Thank you for always having all of the items that im looking for! your website works great and I have no complaints. The delivery was even less than a day! I could not believe it.
This product does what it does. It is great.

Great Product

Great Product quality. Awesome service and fast delivery. Highly recommended!

Lol* make up remover balm....

Respond to Stearic Acid & Wish List

Thank you for responding. I did heat and mixed thoroughly. But I will try another batch. Like I said, still new at this, perhaps I used too much. About the wish icon on top of your page (Heart) I tried that several times, but it did not want to save the products. I will try again, and let you know if it worked on not.

Hi, try heat to a higher temperature.

Please log into your account and it should save the items - it did for me. But let us know if not.

Stearic Acid.

I bought Stearic Acid. The powder did not mix smoothly and still a few grains in final product. Any directions how to use?
This is my 3rd time purchasing from Essentially Natural. Overall experience is fantastic. Delivery is so quick.
The only downside for me is that the online shop is way too addictive. I find myself every other day browsing.
Just a suggestion, if possible, add a wish list, so in the event I am ready to purchase again, I can go straight to wish list and purchase.
Overall - I am ecstatic and thank you for the free gifts.

Hi Harri, I'm not sure what product you were making, but stearic acid does need to be fully melted to work with otherwise it will be grainy (and also not work as it's supposed to). One usually melts it together with the oil phase ingredients.

We do have a wishlist feature :) It's the little heart icon on the products that you can click, and then if you click the heart next to your profile (top right hand corner), you will find all those products which you can add to your cart or even share the list.

Happy shopping!

Love this product, use it in my hand cream!!

Good

I wish it came at smaller quantities.

Nautica Stearic Acid Excellent

Used this for my DIY lotion and it worked perfectly

5 stars

Good additive to the wax content in my lipstick and lipliner.

Could I use Cetyl Alcohol as a substitue for Stearic Acid in a cleanser?

Essentially Natural

Hi there,

To an extent it depends on the type of cleanser, but to be more ingredient specific:

Cetyl alcohol and stearic acid are both fatty ingredients, but they function a little differently in a formula. While they can sometimes be swapped, they are not direct substitutes — particularly in a cleanser.
- Stearic acid is more of a hardener and emulsifier with mild cleansing properties, used to thicken and give structure.
- Cetyl alcohol softens and stabilises but doesn’t provide the same firmness or structure as stearic acid.

If you're using stearic acid to help thicken or give body to the cleanser (especially in cream or lotion cleansers), cetyl alcohol might not give the same result, but it can still contribute to emollience and texture.

We hope that helps <3

Kindest regards,
Essentially Natural Support

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Stearic Acid (Thickener & Hardener) - Essentially Natural