Diethylhexyl Adipate
AKA “BIS(2-ETHYLHEXYL) ADIPATE, Di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate, DEHA, Bis(2-ethylhexyl)hexanedioate, Bis(2-ethylhexyl) hexanedioate, BEHA, Plastomoll DOA, Vestinol OA”
Synthetic
Ingredient Facts
Diethylhexyl adipate
AKA: BIS(2-ETHYLHEXYL) ADIPATE, Di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate, DEHA, Bis(2-ethylhexyl)hexanedioate, Bis(2-ethylhexyl) hexanedioate, BEHA, Plastomoll DOA, Vestinol OA
Synthetic · Emollient · EWG: 4
Synthetic
Emollient
Occlusive
Solvent
Skin Conditioner
Synthetic
Clean
A lightweight conditioning agent that helps products glide smoothly onto skin while creating a soft, protective layer that locks in moisture and prevents products from feeling sticky.
Effective at 19.05%
Solubility less than 0.1 mg/mL at 72 °F (NTP, 1992)
Formula
C22H42O4
Mol. Weight
370.60
CAS #
103-23-1
Form
Powder
State
Bis(2-ethylhexyl) adipate is a colorless to straw-colored liquid with a mild odor. Floats on water. (USCG, 1999)
See origin →
Functions
Film Forming
Creates a physical seal on skin to lock moisture in and keep irritants out. The "slugging" ingredient — barrier protection.
Plasticiser
Emollient
Fills in the tiny cracks between skin cells to make everything feel smooth and soft. The "silky finish" ingredient.
Solvent
Dissolves other ingredients so they distribute evenly in the formula. Often the invisible "base" everything else is mixed into.
Locks In Moisture
Traditional Use
Synthetic ester developed in the mid-20th century as an emollient and plasticizer for cosmetics. Designed to provide superior spreadability and conditioning compared to earlier alternatives.
Skin Types
●all-skin-types
Best For
Dryness
Melanin-Rich Skin
Suitable
Pregnancy & Breastfeeding Safe
Yes
EWG
4
CIR
Safe
Pregnancy
Yes
CIR Safety Findings
Not a Sensitizer
medical-approval
all-shades-safe
Concentration Guide
0.1%
38.0%
0%53%
Effective Range
CIR reported use: 0.1-25 | 0.4-38 | 0.6-14
Regulatory Agencies
Diethylhexyl Adipate
European Commission
EU Cosmetic Ingredient Database (CosIng)
Influence of surfactant on the thermal behavior of marigold oil emulsions with liquid crystal phases.
dos Santos OD, da Rocha-Filho PA
Drug development and industrial pharmacy, 2007
Diethylhexyl Adipate
Environmental Working Group (EWG)
EWG Skin Deep Cosmetics Database
Head Louse Feces: Chemical Analysis and Behavioral Activity.
Galassi FG, Picollo MI, Gonzalez-Audino P
Journal of medical entomology, 2020
Phase Behavior of Polyglycerol Ester-Based Nanoemulsions.
Gan L, Cui D, Ali N, Zhang Q, Zhang D et al.
Journal of nanoscience and nanotechnology, 2021
Phase Behavior of Polyglycerol Ester-Based Nanoemulsions.
Gan L, Cui D, Ali N, Zhang Q, Zhang D et al.
Journal of nanoscience and nanotechnology, 2021
Phase Behavior of Polyglycerol Ester-Based Nanoemulsions.
Gan L, Cui D, Ali N, Zhang Q, Zhang D et al.
Journal of nanoscience and nanotechnology, 2021
Phase Behavior of Polyglycerol Ester-Based Nanoemulsions.
Gan L, Cui D, Ali N, Zhang Q, Zhang D et al.
Journal of nanoscience and nanotechnology, 2021
Phase Behavior of Polyglycerol Ester-Based Nanoemulsions.
Gan L, Cui D, Ali N, Zhang Q, Zhang D et al.
Journal of nanoscience and nanotechnology, 2021
Diethylhexyl Adipate
Health Canada
Health Canada Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist
Physicochemical Characterization of an Exopolysaccharide Produced by Lipomyces sp. and Investigation of Rheological and Interfacial Behavior.
Li W, Guo Y, Chen H, Chen W, Zhang H et al.
Gels (Basel, Switzerland), 2021
Behenamidopropyl Dimethylamine: unique behaviour in solution and in hair care formulations.
Minguet M, Subirats N, Castán P, Sakai T
International journal of cosmetic science, 2010
Fullerene-polysaccharide supramolecular hydrogel displaying antioxidation/antiglycation behavior.
Yu HM, Yu XY, Chen Y, Liu Y
Soft matter, 2023
Interesterification of rice bran wax and palm olein catalyzed by lipase: Crystallization behaviours and characterization.
Zhang Z, Ye J, Fei T, Ma X, Xie X et al.
Food chemistry, 2019
Interesterification of rice bran wax and palm olein catalyzed by lipase: Crystallization behaviours and characterization.
Zhang Z, Ye J, Fei T, Ma X, Xie X et al.
Food chemistry, 2019
Verified Feb 2026
Data: PubChem · CosIng · EWG · CIR