Dicaprylyl Carbonate

Overview

Dicaprylyl carbonate is a synthetic ester made by reacting caprylyl alcohol (derived from coconut or palm) with carbonic acid derivatives. The result is a clear, colourless, odourless liquid with a viscosity close to water and a refractive index in the silicone range. Despite being a synthetic, it is fully biodegradable and is the go-to natural-positioned replacement for cyclomethicone and dimethicone in many modern formulas.

It is supplied as a neat liquid in opaque packaging. Shelf life is typically 24-36 months at room temperature in sealed containers.

In terms of skin feel it is one of the fastest-spreading emollients available, with a spreading value in the same range as light silicones. That gives it a dry, almost powdery after-feel rather than the heavy slip of a fatty oil.

What it does in a formula

The headline role is sensorial. Dicaprylyl carbonate gives a clean, non-greasy, silicone-like glide without leaving an oily residue. In emulsions it lightens the overall feel of the oil phase and increases the speed of absorption. In anhydrous products it improves spreadability and reduces tackiness.

It is also a strong solvent for UV filters — particularly the crystalline ones such as avobenzone and ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate — which makes it a staple in modern sunscreen formulations. The same property makes it useful as a pigment-wetting agent in colour cosmetics, helping disperse iron oxides, titanium dioxide, and zinc oxide evenly through the formula.

In dry-touch deodorants, hair serums, and primers it stands in for cyclomethicone with a much more favourable environmental profile.

How to use

Add to the oil phase. Tolerates heat-and-hold to 80 C without issue. Compatible with virtually all common cosmetic oils, butters, waxes, and silicones, and it dissolves crystalline UV filters more efficiently when warmed.

Usage rates by product type:

• Face creams (light feel): 3-10%
• Body lotions: 3-15%
• Sunscreens (UV filter solvent): 5-20%
• Mineral makeup binders: 3-10%
• Colour cosmetics (pigment dispersion): 2-10%
• Hair serums and primers: 5-25%
• Deodorants (dry feel): 5-20%
• Eye creams: 2-8%

Best for / Worst for

Best for: light face creams, sunscreens with crystalline UV filters, mineral makeup, hair serums, modern silicone-free formulas needing a dry silky feel, pigment-heavy colour cosmetics.

Worst for: rich nourishing creams where occlusivity is the goal, lip balms where a longer-lasting cushion is needed, fatty-feel positioning where a slow-spreading oil would suit better.

Common pitfalls

Expecting a 1:1 swap for dimethicone. Dicaprylyl carbonate spreads fast but does not give the cushion or the long-lasting slip of dimethicone. In hair products especially, the after-feel is noticeably different.

Confusing it with caprylic/capric triglyceride. Both are coconut-derived, light, and odourless, but they are different esters. Caprylic/capric triglyceride is slower-spreading and slightly heavier; dicaprylyl carbonate is closer to a silicone replacement.

Using too little in sunscreens. When used as a UV filter solvent, under-dosing leads to crystalline filters recrystallising out of the oil phase over time. Follow the supplier guidance for the specific filter being solubilised.

Overusing in heavy creams. At high percentages in dense balms or rich creams, dicaprylyl carbonate can flatten the cushion and make the product feel thinner than intended.

Substitutes

• Caprylic/capric triglyceride — heavier and slower-spreading, still natural-positioned.
• Coco-caprylate — similar dry feel, slightly slower spread.
• Isoamyl laurate — light ester with silky finish.
• Cyclomethicone or dimethicone — silicone originals being replaced.