Tridecane
Ingredient Info
Tridecane is a lightweight hydrocarbon (a type of oil derived from petroleum) sometimes used in cosmetic formulations as an emollient or texture modifier. It belongs to the alkane family of ingredients and helps create smooth, spreadable products.
Benefits
- Provides lightweight emollient properties
- Helps improve product spreadability and texture
- Non-polar solvent that can dissolve certain actives
Potential concerns
- Can penetrate skin barrier and increase transepidermal water loss (TEWL) when used at high concentrations
- May cause skin irritation, erythema (redness), and edema (swelling) with repeated or prolonged exposure
- Belongs to jet fuel component family—safety data in cosmetic-use concentrations is limited; most toxicology data comes from occupational exposure studies
Science: Research shows tridecane readily penetrates human skin in vitro. While studied as a jet fuel (JP-8) component, the irritation potential appears dose and exposure-duration dependent. Safety in typical low-concentration skincare products is not well-established in published literature; most concern data relates to occupational or high-level exposures.
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