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Myristic Acid in skincare
Saturated C14 fatty acid; key lather builder in shaving creams and bar soaps; saponifies to create foam.
Found in shaving creams (AM use primarily) and cleansers (AM and PM). As a saponified soap base ingredient in shaving creams, it is rinsed off and not a leave-on concern. No time-of-day restrictions for rinse-off use.
What it is
Myristic Acid (tetradecanoic acid, C14:0) is a saturated medium-chain fatty acid found naturally in coconut oil, palm kernel oil, and nutmeg. In shaving creams and bar soaps, myristic acid is saponified with potassium hydroxide (KOH) and/or sodium hydroxide (NaOH) to form potassium myristate and sodium myristate. Soap molecules that provide the core lather and cleansing performance. Myristic acid soaps produce an exceptionally rich, creamy, cushioning lather ideal for shaving, as opposed to lauric acid-based soaps which create a lighter, more cleansing lather. As an emollient fatty acid in cosmetics, it also softens skin. Mildly comedogenic (comedogenicity rating 3/5 for the acid form). Consider for acne-prone skin in leave-on formulations. CIR Expert Panel reviewed as safe.
The facts
| Category | Fatty Acid / Lather Booster |
| Typical use | Morning and evening |
| Concentration YARAI treats as a full dose | 100% |
Why the amount matters, not just the presence
Most ingredient checkers tell you whether something is in the bottle. That is a smaller question than it sounds. Myristic Acid at 100% and myristic acid at a trace level are not the same ingredient in any way that affects your skin.
An ingredient list is ordered by quantity, so position carries real information. YARAI reads that position and scores accordingly, which is why the same ingredient can land differently in two different products.
The honest limit: a list gives order, not percentages. Estimating concentration from position is an estimate. It is a better estimate than ignoring position, and it is still an estimate. We would rather tell you that than let a number look more certain than it is.
Common questions
What does myristic acid do in a skincare product?
Saturated C14 fatty acid; key lather builder in shaving creams and bar soaps; saponifies to create foam.
How much myristic acid should a product contain?
YARAI treats 100% as a full dose for this ingredient. Below that, the ingredient is present but is scored as contributing less. An ingredient list gives you the order of ingredients, not their percentages, so this is an estimate read from position rather than a measurement.
When should I use myristic acid?
Found in shaving creams (AM use primarily) and cleansers (AM and PM). As a saponified soap base ingredient in shaving creams, it is rinsed off and not a leave-on concern. No time-of-day restrictions for rinse-off use.
Check your own products
Point your camera at a product. YARAI identifies it from the label, finds that product's full ingredient list from published sources, and scores it. No barcode and no box needed, which is how it handles imported and small-brand products.
Concern level, category and thresholds on this page are read directly from the same data the YARAI app scores with, so this page and the app cannot disagree. EU figures cite Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009. Last built 2026-09-09. Nothing here is medical advice.