{"id":"misun-fatty-acid-comparison","version":"1.0.0","reviewedAt":"2026-08-14","scope":"Raw fats, oils, waxes and emollients as measured in a laboratory. Not finished cosmetic products, whose behaviour depends on the rest of the formula.","whatItDoes":"Displays published gas chromatography fatty acid composition for fats used in leave-on skincare, derives saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated totals, an oleic to linoleic ratio, and a relative oxidation index, and marks the ingredients that have no fatty acid profile because they are not triacylglycerols.","dataRules":{"noAveraging":"Figures are never averaged across sources. Where two sources measured the same fat, both are shown and attributed separately.","noInterpolation":"No figure is estimated, inferred from a related fat, or filled in to make a profile sum to 100.","rangesPreserved":"Where a source reports a range, the range is displayed. The midpoint is used only for derived numbers and the card is marked as a partial or ranged profile.","partialProfiles":"Where a source quantifies only part of an oil, derived numbers are computed over the quantified part and the reported sum is published alongside them. A derived total of zero means the source did not report that fraction, not that the fat contains none of it.","computedVersusReportedTotals":"Computed saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated totals are sums of the individual acid rows. Where a source also publishes its own totals, both are shown. Small gaps between them come from how each source groups conjugated dienes and combined rows, and are left visible rather than reconciled."},"ingredientKinds":{"triglyceride":"Triacylglycerol","wax-ester":"Wax ester, not a triglyceride","hydrocarbon":"Hydrocarbon, no fatty acids"},"oxidationIndex":{"source":"huang-2019","baseline":"stearic acid = 1","ratesByDoubleBondCount":{"saturated":1,"mono":100,"di":1200,"tri":2500},"method":"Weighted mean of the per-acid relative rates across the acids the source quantifies, excluding any combined or ambiguous row, divided by the sum of those acid percentages.","referenceFat":"beef-tallow-grass-fed","referenceIndex":84.6,"describes":"The rate at which the fat itself reacts with oxygen in its container. It holds tocopherol content, added antioxidants, processing, light, heat, headspace oxygen and packaging constant at zero.","doesNotDescribe":"Anything about skin. The index is not a comedogenicity score, an irritation score, a quality grade, or a suitability judgement."},"derivedMetrics":{"saturatedMonoPoly":"Sums of the acid percentages by double bond count, from the acids the source quantifies. Where the source also publishes its own totals, those are shown next to the computed figures.","oleicToLinoleic":"Oleic acid percentage divided by linoleic acid percentage. Reported only where the source quantifies both.","largestSingleAcid":"The highest single acid percentage in the reported profile."},"ingredients":[{"slug":"beef-tallow-grass-fed","name":"Beef tallow, grass-fed","kind":"triglyceride","sources":["masterjohn-2014","faridah-2025"],"partialProfile":null,"acids":[{"code":"C14:0","name":"Myristic","percent":3.45,"reportedRange":null,"acidClass":"saturated"},{"code":"C14:1","name":"Myristoleic","percent":0.7,"reportedRange":null,"acidClass":"mono"},{"code":"C15:0","name":"Pentadecanoic","percent":0.55,"reportedRange":null,"acidClass":"saturated"},{"code":"C16:0","name":"Palmitic","percent":27.45,"reportedRange":null,"acidClass":"saturated"},{"code":"t-C16:1","name":"Trans palmitoleic","percent":0.7,"reportedRange":null,"acidClass":"mono"},{"code":"C16:1","name":"Palmitoleic","percent":2.5,"reportedRange":null,"acidClass":"mono"},{"code":"C17:0","name":"Margaric","percent":1.35,"reportedRange":null,"acidClass":"saturated"},{"code":"C18:0","name":"Stearic","percent":17.45,"reportedRange":null,"acidClass":"saturated"},{"code":"t-C18:1","name":"Vaccenic","percent":3.8,"reportedRange":null,"acidClass":"mono"},{"code":"C18:1n-9","name":"Oleic","percent":37.55,"reportedRange":null,"acidClass":"mono"},{"code":"C18:1n-7","name":"Cis-vaccenic","percent":0.85,"reportedRange":null,"acidClass":"mono"},{"code":"C18:2n-6","name":"Linoleic","percent":1.1,"reportedRange":null,"acidClass":"di"},{"code":"C18:3n-3","name":"Alpha-linolenic","percent":0.8,"reportedRange":null,"acidClass":"tri"},{"code":"CLA","name":"Conjugated linoleic","percent":0.3,"reportedRange":null,"acidClass":"di"},{"code":"C20:0","name":"Arachidic","percent":0.1,"reportedRange":null,"acidClass":"saturated"},{"code":"C20:1","name":"Eicosenoic","percent":0.2,"reportedRange":null,"acidClass":"mono"},{"code":"C20:4n-6 + C22:0","name":"Arachidonic plus behenic","percent":0.1,"reportedRange":null,"acidClass":"other"}],"reportedTotals":{"sfa":50.4,"mufa":46.3,"pufa":1.9},"derived":{"reportedSum":98.95,"saturated":50.35,"monounsaturated":46.3,"polyunsaturated":2.2,"oleicToLinoleic":34.1,"oxidationIndex":84.6,"oxidationRelativeToReference":1}},{"slug":"beef-tallow-grain-fed","name":"Beef tallow, grain-fed","kind":"triglyceride","sources":["masterjohn-2014"],"partialProfile":null,"acids":[{"code":"C14:0","name":"Myristic","percent":4.8,"reportedRange":null,"acidClass":"saturated"},{"code":"C14:1","name":"Myristoleic","percent":0.85,"reportedRange":null,"acidClass":"mono"},{"code":"C15:0","name":"Pentadecanoic","percent":0.8,"reportedRange":null,"acidClass":"saturated"},{"code":"C16:0","name":"Palmitic","percent":27.7,"reportedRange":null,"acidClass":"saturated"},{"code":"t-C16:1","name":"Trans palmitoleic","percent":0.5,"reportedRange":null,"acidClass":"mono"},{"code":"C16:1","name":"Palmitoleic","percent":3.4,"reportedRange":null,"acidClass":"mono"},{"code":"C17:0","name":"Margaric","percent":1.4,"reportedRange":null,"acidClass":"saturated"},{"code":"C18:0","name":"Stearic","percent":12.8,"reportedRange":null,"acidClass":"saturated"},{"code":"t-C18:1","name":"Vaccenic","percent":10.8,"reportedRange":null,"acidClass":"mono"},{"code":"C18:1n-9","name":"Oleic","percent":30.9,"reportedRange":null,"acidClass":"mono"},{"code":"C18:1n-7","name":"Cis-vaccenic","percent":1.25,"reportedRange":null,"acidClass":"mono"},{"code":"C18:2n-6","name":"Linoleic","percent":3.25,"reportedRange":null,"acidClass":"di"},{"code":"C18:3n-3","name":"Alpha-linolenic","percent":0.2,"reportedRange":null,"acidClass":"tri"},{"code":"CLA","name":"Conjugated linoleic","percent":0.25,"reportedRange":null,"acidClass":"di"},{"code":"C20:0","name":"Arachidic","percent":0.05,"reportedRange":null,"acidClass":"saturated"},{"code":"C20:1","name":"Eicosenoic","percent":0.2,"reportedRange":null,"acidClass":"mono"},{"code":"C20:4n-6 + C22:0","name":"Arachidonic plus behenic","percent":0.1,"reportedRange":null,"acidClass":"other"}],"reportedTotals":{"sfa":47.65,"mufa":47.9,"pufa":3.45},"derived":{"reportedSum":99.25,"saturated":47.55,"monounsaturated":47.9,"polyunsaturated":3.7,"oleicToLinoleic":9.5,"oxidationIndex":96.2,"oxidationRelativeToReference":1.14}},{"slug":"coconut-oil","name":"Coconut oil","kind":"triglyceride","sources":["lin-2018","faridah-2025"],"partialProfile":null,"acids":[{"code":"C8:0","name":"Caprylic","percent":8,"reportedRange":null,"acidClass":"saturated"},{"code":"C10:0","name":"Capric","percent":7,"reportedRange":null,"acidClass":"saturated"},{"code":"C12:0","name":"Lauric","percent":49,"reportedRange":null,"acidClass":"saturated"},{"code":"C14:0","name":"Myristic","percent":18,"reportedRange":null,"acidClass":"saturated"},{"code":"C16:0","name":"Palmitic","percent":8,"reportedRange":null,"acidClass":"saturated"},{"code":"C18:0","name":"Stearic","percent":2,"reportedRange":null,"acidClass":"saturated"},{"code":"C18:1","name":"Oleic","percent":6,"reportedRange":null,"acidClass":"mono"},{"code":"C18:2","name":"Linoleic","percent":2,"reportedRange":null,"acidClass":"di"}],"reportedTotals":{"sfa":92,"mufa":6,"pufa":2},"derived":{"reportedSum":100,"saturated":92,"monounsaturated":6,"polyunsaturated":2,"oleicToLinoleic":3,"oxidationIndex":30.9,"oxidationRelativeToReference":0.37}},{"slug":"shea-butter","name":"Shea butter","kind":"triglyceride","sources":["shea-bmc-2025"],"partialProfile":null,"acids":[{"code":"C16:0","name":"Palmitic","percent":3.53,"reportedRange":null,"acidClass":"saturated"},{"code":"C18:0","name":"Stearic","percent":38.76,"reportedRange":null,"acidClass":"saturated"},{"code":"C18:1","name":"Oleic","percent":51.26,"reportedRange":null,"acidClass":"mono"},{"code":"C18:2","name":"Linoleic","percent":6.45,"reportedRange":null,"acidClass":"di"}],"reportedTotals":{"sfa":42.29,"mufa":51.26,"pufa":6.45},"derived":{"reportedSum":100,"saturated":42.29,"monounsaturated":51.26,"polyunsaturated":6.45,"oleicToLinoleic":7.9,"oxidationIndex":129.1,"oxidationRelativeToReference":1.53}},{"slug":"argan-oil","name":"Argan oil","kind":"triglyceride","sources":["bucar-2020"],"partialProfile":"The 73-sample authenticity study quantifies palmitic, oleic and linoleic acid across all samples and reports stearic and arachidic acid as varying by region without a pooled mean. The three acids shown cover about 92% of the oil.","acids":[{"code":"C16:0","name":"Palmitic","percent":13.1,"reportedRange":[12.7,13.8],"acidClass":"saturated"},{"code":"C18:1","name":"Oleic","percent":46.6,"reportedRange":[39.5,50.8],"acidClass":"mono"},{"code":"C18:2","name":"Linoleic","percent":32.6,"reportedRange":[27.1,39.3],"acidClass":"di"}],"reportedTotals":null,"derived":{"reportedSum":92.3,"saturated":13.1,"monounsaturated":46.6,"polyunsaturated":32.6,"oleicToLinoleic":1.4,"oxidationIndex":474.5,"oxidationRelativeToReference":5.61}},{"slug":"avocado-oil","name":"Avocado oil","kind":"triglyceride","sources":["lin-2018"],"partialProfile":"The source reports ranges for oleic, linoleic and linolenic acid only. Percentages shown are the midpoints of those ranges, and the derived numbers inherit that approximation.","acids":[{"code":"C18:1","name":"Oleic","percent":50.7,"reportedRange":[31.8,69.6],"acidClass":"mono"},{"code":"C18:2","name":"Linoleic","percent":14.5,"reportedRange":[6.1,22.9],"acidClass":"di"},{"code":"C18:3","name":"Linolenic","percent":2.2,"reportedRange":[0.4,4],"acidClass":"tri"}],"reportedTotals":null,"derived":{"reportedSum":67.4,"saturated":0,"monounsaturated":50.7,"polyunsaturated":16.7,"oleicToLinoleic":3.5,"oxidationIndex":415,"oxidationRelativeToReference":4.91}},{"slug":"safflower-oil","name":"Safflower seed oil","kind":"triglyceride","sources":["lin-2018","huang-2019"],"partialProfile":"The source quantifies linoleic and oleic acid and describes lesser amounts of stearic acid without a figure. The two acids shown cover about 80% of the oil.","acids":[{"code":"C18:2","name":"Linoleic","percent":70,"reportedRange":null,"acidClass":"di"},{"code":"C18:1","name":"Oleic","percent":10,"reportedRange":null,"acidClass":"mono"}],"reportedTotals":null,"derived":{"reportedSum":80,"saturated":0,"monounsaturated":10,"polyunsaturated":70,"oleicToLinoleic":0.1,"oxidationIndex":1062.5,"oxidationRelativeToReference":12.56}},{"slug":"rosehip-seed-oil","name":"Rose hip seed oil","kind":"triglyceride","sources":["lin-2018","huang-2019"],"partialProfile":"The source reports ranges for linoleic, alpha-linolenic and oleic acid only. Percentages shown are the midpoints, covering about 85% of the oil.","acids":[{"code":"C18:2","name":"Linoleic","percent":45.35,"reportedRange":[35.9,54.8],"acidClass":"di"},{"code":"C18:3n-3","name":"Alpha-linolenic","percent":21.55,"reportedRange":[16.6,26.5],"acidClass":"tri"},{"code":"C18:1","name":"Oleic","percent":18.4,"reportedRange":[14.7,22.1],"acidClass":"mono"}],"reportedTotals":null,"derived":{"reportedSum":85.3,"saturated":0,"monounsaturated":18.4,"polyunsaturated":66.9,"oleicToLinoleic":0.4,"oxidationIndex":1291.1,"oxidationRelativeToReference":15.26}},{"slug":"jojoba","name":"Jojoba","kind":"wax-ester","sources":["cir-jojoba"],"partialProfile":null,"acids":[],"reportedTotals":null,"derived":{"reportedSum":0,"saturated":0,"monounsaturated":0,"polyunsaturated":0,"oleicToLinoleic":null,"oxidationIndex":null,"oxidationRelativeToReference":null}},{"slug":"lanolin","name":"Lanolin","kind":"wax-ester","sources":["cir-lanolin-2024"],"partialProfile":null,"acids":[],"reportedTotals":null,"derived":{"reportedSum":0,"saturated":0,"monounsaturated":0,"polyunsaturated":0,"oleicToLinoleic":null,"oxidationIndex":null,"oxidationRelativeToReference":null}},{"slug":"squalane","name":"Squalane","kind":"hydrocarbon","sources":["cir-squalane"],"partialProfile":null,"acids":[],"reportedTotals":null,"derived":{"reportedSum":0,"saturated":0,"monounsaturated":0,"polyunsaturated":0,"oleicToLinoleic":null,"oxidationIndex":null,"oxidationRelativeToReference":null}}],"processing":{"location":"Browser","submittedToServer":false,"storedByTool":false},"excludedByDesign":["No product rating, safety score, or quality ranking","No comedogenic rating, which the retired ratings guide on this site explains cannot be supported from composition","No claim that any fatty acid or any product treats, prevents, heals, or soothes any skin condition","No fatty acid profile for wax esters or hydrocarbons, because none exists in the ingredient as supplied","No figure without a named source in the ledger"],"sourceLedger":[{"key":"masterjohn-2014","title":"Masterjohn 2014, Fatty Acid Analysis of Grass-fed and Grain-fed Beef Tallow, Wise Traditions Winter 2013, analysis by Burnsides Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign","url":"https://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/know-your-fats/fatty-acid-analysis-of-grass-fed-and-grain-fed-beef-tallow/","supports":"Side by side gas chromatography of one grass-fed and one grain-fed beef tallow sample, reporting seventeen fatty acids each plus totals. Grass-fed came out at 50.4% saturated, 46.3% monounsaturated and 1.9% polyunsaturated, against 47.65%, 47.9% and 3.45% for grain-fed."},{"key":"faridah-2025","title":"Faridah et al. 2025, Comparison of the physicochemical properties of palm-based shortenings of various melting temperatures and animal fats, Food Chemistry: X 28:102583","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12163408/","supports":"An independent measurement of beef tallow used here as a cross check: 30.29% palmitic, 18.65% stearic, 28.80% oleic and 1.78% linoleic, with a slip melting point of 40.77 C and solid fat content of 48.88% at 20 C and 16.11% at 35 C."},{"key":"lin-2018","title":"Lin, Zhong and Santiago 2018, Anti-Inflammatory and Skin Barrier Repair Effects of Topical Application of Some Plant Oils, International Journal of Molecular Sciences 19(1):70","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5796020/","supports":"Reports composition figures for plant oils used topically. Coconut at 49% lauric, 18% myristic, 8% palmitic, 8% caprylic, 7% capric, 6% oleic, 2% linoleic and 2% stearic. Safflower at 70% linoleic and 10% oleic. Avocado at 31.8 to 69.6% oleic, 6.1 to 22.9% linoleic and 0.4 to 4.0% linolenic. Rose hip at 35.9 to 54.8% linoleic, 16.6 to 26.5% alpha-linolenic and 14.7 to 22.1% oleic."},{"key":"bucar-2020","title":"Bucar Miklavcic et al. 2020, Fatty Acid Composition of Cosmetic Argan Oil: Provenience and Authenticity Criteria, Molecules 25(18):4080","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7570657/","supports":"Gas chromatography of 73 cosmetic argan oil samples. Palmitic 13.1% plus or minus 0.7, oleic 46.6% plus or minus 1.9 and linoleic 32.6% plus or minus 2.2, with reported ranges of 12.7 to 13.8%, 39.5 to 50.8% and 27.1 to 39.3% respectively."},{"key":"shea-bmc-2025","title":"Genome-wide association study of fat content and fatty acid composition of shea tree (Vitellaria paradoxa C.F. Gaertn subsp. paradoxa), BMC Genomics 2025","url":"https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12864-025-11344-z","supports":"Reports mean kernel fat composition across the studied accessions at 51.26% plus or minus 4.21 oleic, 38.76% plus or minus 4.67 stearic, 6.45% plus or minus 0.76 linoleic and 3.53% plus or minus 0.52 palmitic."},{"key":"cir-jojoba","title":"Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel, Final Report on jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis) derived ingredients","url":"https://www.cir-safety.org/sites/default/files/115_buff3f_suppl.pdf","supports":"States that jojoba esters are proper waxes with no triglyceride component, made of long chain C35 to C46 fatty acids and fatty alcohols joined by an ester bond, with no trans unsaturation."},{"key":"cir-lanolin-2024","title":"Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel 2024, Amended Safety Assessment of Lanolin and Lanolin-Derived Ingredients, Final Report September 2024","url":"https://www.cir-safety.org/sites/default/files/FAR_Lanolin_092024.pdf","supports":"Describes lanolin as chemically a wax rather than a fat, roughly 87% high molecular weight esters, including esters of sterols and triterpene alcohols and esters of aliphatic alcohols, with about 11% free alcohols, sterols, fatty acids and hydrocarbons."},{"key":"cir-squalane","title":"Cosmetic Ingredient Review, Squalane and Squalene safety assessment re-review summary, 2019","url":"https://www.cir-safety.org/sites/default/files/squal062019RRsum.pdf","supports":"Squalane and squalene are hydrocarbons, not fatty acids or glycerides. Squalane functions as an emollient in creams, lotions and ointments, and its cosmetic use has grown from 595 reported formulations in 2001 to 2,785 in 2019."},{"key":"huang-2019","title":"Huang and Ahn 2019, Lipid oxidation and its implications to meat quality and human health, Food Science and Biotechnology 28(5):1275-85","url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6811465/","supports":"Gives relative oxidation rates by fatty acid against stearic acid at 1: oleic at 100, linoleic at 1200 and linolenic at 2500. Identifies aldehydes, hexanal above all, as the source of oxidised off-odours, described as grassy, old, stale, rancid, metallic and painty."}],"correctionPolicy":"Review sources quarterly and correct confirmed composition, derivation, or citation errors in place with a new version and reviewedAt date."}