| What is it? | Magnesium Myristate is the salt of magnesium and myristic acid (a fatty acid that naturally occurs in palm and coconut oils). |
| INCI | Magnesium Myristate |
| Appearance | Fine white powder |
| Usage rate | Typically 5–10% for loose powders. For creamy cosmetics and binding powders for pressing you’ll need to use it at higher rates. |
| Texture | Magnesium Myristate is surprisingly creamy when handled—it has a wonderful, rich slip when rubbed between the fingers. |
| Scent | Nothing much—perhaps a bit fatty or waxy. |
| Approximate Melting Point | 130–150°C (266–302°F) |
| Solubility | Oil, warm alcohol |
| Why do we use it in formulations? | Magnesium Myristate gives our colour cosmetics both slip and adhesion—I find it provides more adhesion than the more readily available magnesium stearate. It can also used as a binding ingredient when pressing powders, but I tend to choose magnesium stearate over magnesium myristate for pressing as stearate is more readily available. |
| Do you need it? | I highly recommend it if you want to make your own makeup—especially if you want to make items like eyeliner that have higher adhesion requirements than something like blush. |
| Refined or unrefined? | Magnesium Myristate only exists as a refined product. |
| Strengths | Excellent ingredient for increasing slip and adhesion/wear time in colour cosmetics—especially in more challenging products like eyeliners and lipsticks. |
| Weaknesses | It is harder to acquire than magnesium stearate. |
| Alternatives & Substitutions | You could try zinc stearate or magnesium stearate, but you will need to re-test the formula for performance and wear time. |
| How to Work with It | Blend it in with the other powders in powdered cosmetics. In cream cosmetics it can be stirred into the oil phase. As with all fine powders, be sure to wear a dust mask if it going to be whipped up/aerosolized. |
| Storage & Shelf Life | Stored somewhere cool, dark, and dry, magnesium myristate should last at least two years. |
| Tips, Tricks, and Quirks | Try incorporating a small amount of magnesium myristate into a recipe for colour cosmetics that could use better wear time—it works incredibly well! |
| Recommended starter amount | 30g (3oz) |
| Where to Buy it | Buy it from an online DIY ingredient supplier or Amazon. |
Some Formulations that Use Magnesium Myristate
Magnesium Myristate is a very commonly used ingredient in my book, Make it Up.
