Neopentyl glycol dicaprylate/dipelargonate/dicaprate is a chemical compound, diester of neopentyl glycol and a blend of caprylic, pelargonic, and capric acids.

The name defines the structure of the molecule:

• Neopentyl glycol is a type of glycol, an organic compound containing two hydroxyl groups.
• dicaprylate/dipelargonate/dicaprate are the caprylic, pelargonic and caprican acids and are types of fatty acids. Caprylic acid (also known as octanoic acid) has eight carbon atoms, capric acid (also known as decanoic acid) has ten, and pelargonic acid (also known as nonanoic acid) has nine.

The synthesis process takes place in several stages:

• Esterification: Carboxylic acids (caprylic acid, capric acid and pelargonic acid) react with neopentyl glycol in the presence of a catalyst. This forms an ester bond between glycol and fatty acids, producing esters of neopentyl glycol dicaprylate, neopentyl glycol dicaprate and neopentyl glycol dipelargonate.
• Separation: The mixture of esters is separated with a distillation treatment to isolate the individual esters.
• Purification: The individual esters are then purified to remove any unreacted raw materials or by-products.

What it is used for and where

Cosmetics

Skin conditioning agent - Emollient. Emollients have the characteristic of enhancing the skin barrier through a source of exogenous lipids that adhere to the skin, improving barrier properties by filling gaps in intercorneocyte clusters to improve hydration while protecting against inflammation. In practice, they have the ability to create a barrier that prevents transepidermal water loss. Emollients are described as degreasing or refreshing additives that improve the lipid content of the upper layers of the skin by preventing degreasing and drying of the skin. The problem with emollients is that many have a strong lipophilic character and are identified as occlusive ingredients; they are oily and fatty materials that remain on the skin surface and reduce transepidermal water loss. In cosmetics, emollients and moisturisers are often considered synonymous with humectants and occlusives.

Skin conditioning agent. It is the mainstay of topical skin treatment as it has the function of restoring, increasing or improving skin tolerance to external factors, including melanocyte tolerance. The most important function of the conditioning agent is to prevent skin dehydration, but the subject is rather complex and involves emollients and humectants that can be added in the formulation.

Viscosity Enhancing Agent - non acqueous. Since viscosity is important for increasing the chemical and physical stability of the product, Viscosity Enhancing Agent non acqueous is an important dosage factor in gels, suspensions, emulsions, solutions. Increasing viscosity makes formulations less sedimentary and more homogeneously thickened.