triglycerides are consistency regulators for creams, lotions, and makeup. Facilitates blending and imparts good flow properties to products. These are the chief constituents of fats and oils. These oils, such as those of almond, safflower, and cocoa butter, are utilized in cosmetics for enhanced lubricity and emolliency of a product. Fatty acids such as caprylic, capric, and lauric react with glycerin to pro-T duce triglyceride oils. There are a variety of triglycerides, including caprylic/capric, lauric, myristic, palmitic, and stearic.
The properties of triglycerides depend on the fatty acid composition and
on the relative location of fatty acids on the glycerol. As accurate methods
for determining the composition are available, several conventions
have been developed to specify arrangements of fatty acids on the glycerol
molecule. Natural fats and oils are designated as the triglyceride type
in terms of saturated and unsaturated acids and isomeric forms.
The physical properties, such as melting points, specific heat, viscosity,
density, and refractive index depend on the type of fatty acids present
in the triglyceride and their location, chain length of fatty acids, number
and location of cis and trans double bonds on the fatty acid chains as well as compatibility of the different triglycerides in the mixture and the type of crystal present.The existence of a substance in two or more forms, which are significantly different in physical or chemical properties, is known as polymorphism. The difference between the forms arises from different modes of molecular packing in the crystal structure of certain triglycerides. Certain pure or mixed fatty acid triglycerides may show as many as five different melting points. The most important chemical reactions for triglycerides (fats and edible oils) are hydrolysis, methanolysis, and interesterification.
