Functional Category
Emollient; emulsifying agent; lubricant; solvent; thickening agent.
Applications in Pharmaceutical Formulation
Octyldodecanol is widely used in cosmetics and pharmaceutical applications as an emulsifying and opacifying agent. It is primarily used in topical applications because of its lubricating and emollient properties. Octyldodecanol has been used in the preparation of oil/water microemulsions investigated as the vehicle for the dermal administration of drugs having no or low skin penetration.(1) Octyldodecanol has also been evaluated as a solvent for naproxen when applied topically.(2) Studies of estimated permeability coefficient suggest that octyldodecanol could be a potential dermal permeation enhancer.(3)
Description
Octyldodecanol occurs as a clear, colorless, or yellowish, oily liquid.
Stability and Storage Conditions
The bulk material should be stored in a well-closed container in a cool, dry place, protected from light. In the original unopened container, octyldodecanol can be stored for 2 years protected from moisture at below 308C.
Incompatibilities
Octyldodecanol is generally compatible with most materials encountered in cosmetic and pharmaceutical formulations.
Safety
Octyldodecanol is widely used in cosmetics and topical pharmaceutical formulations, and is generally regarded as nontoxic and nonirritant at the levels employed as an excipient. In acute oral toxicity studies in rats fed 5 g/kg of undiluted octyldodecanol, no deaths were observed.(4) In an acute dermal toxicity study, intact and abraded skin sites of guinea pigs were treated with 3 g/kg of undiluted octyldodecanol under occlusive patches; no deaths occurred and no gross skin lesions were observed.(4) Octyldodecanol caused either no ocular irritation or minimal, transient irritation in the eyes of rabbits.(4) However, some sources describe undiluted octyldodecanol as an eye and severe skin irritant