Stearic acid, or stearin, is a derivative of animal and vegetable fats and is often used in the manufacture of candles, among many other uses. It is a waxy and very hard solid and used as a binding agent for products like lotions, soaps, deodorants and candles. It serves the same function in food products, such as butter flavoring, vanilla flavoring, chewing gum, fruit waxes and butter.
History
Prior to its development around 1811, candles were made from tallow and were notoriously soft, smoky and smelly. By the middle of the 19th century, stearin was being mixed with paraffin to produce hard, long-lasting mass-produced candles that burned clean with no odor. Stearin can be made at home, but it is a lengthy process that may also be dangerous.
There are no significant health risks from consuming stearic acid, and sterin is predominantly used for cosmetics or candle making not for consumption.
Sources
Stearic acid is mainly found in vegetable, animal or synthetic. Vegetable-based stearin is produced by treating coconut or palm oil with water at high temperatures, creating the acid through the hydrogenation process. Animal-based stearic acid is usually taken from the stomachs of pigs, sheep or cows.
Properties
Stearic acid can be considered natural because some companies list it as a natural emollient in their organic products; these companies say they produce the sterin from coconut, palm or soybean oil. Producing sterin from animals involves treating animal fat with high temperatures of water through a process that results in the hydrolysis of triglycerides.The production of the acid is viewed by groups like PETA as grotesque. Euthanized dogs and cats or the remains of meat production are used in the treatment of sterin and the creation of cosmetic products.
Natural Alternatives
Depending on the use, there are many natural alternatives insteading of stearic acid(CAS number 57-11-4). If you are a candle or lotion maker,emulsifier wax or “e-wax” is the most common substitute. Unfortunately, e-wax is not a natural product, it is made of chemicals like cetearyl alcohol, polysorbate 60, PEG-150 stearate and steareth-20. Organic beeswax offers an all natural substitute to stearin or e-wax as an emulsifier, although it is not as effective of an emulsifier, which may lead to a watery consistency in cosmetics and candles. Lecithin is another emulsifier that can be a substitute for stearin. Lecithin is a soybean product good at binding water; it is usually found in cosmetics like lotions and shampoos.
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