Tall Oil Acid
AKA “Tall oil fatty acid, Tallol acid, Naphthenic acid”
Oil
Ingredient Facts
Tall oil acid
AKA: Tall oil fatty acid, Tallol acid, Naphthenic acid
Oil · Emollient · EWG: 2
Plant-Derived
Emollient
Cleanser
Emulsifier
Skin Conditioner
Clean
Fatty acids, tall-oil
CAS #
61790-12-3
Form
Oil
See origin →
Functions
Cleansing
Makes oil and water mix so dirt, makeup, and sunscreen can actually be washed away. The reason your face wash foams.
Emollient
Fills in the tiny cracks between skin cells to make everything feel smooth and soft. The "silky finish" ingredient.
Cleansing
Makes oil and water mix so dirt, makeup, and sunscreen can actually be washed away. The reason your face wash foams.
Emulsifying
Forces oil and water to stay mixed instead of separating into layers. The unsung hero holding your lotion together.
Locks In Moisture
Traditional Use
Tall oil is a byproduct of wood pulp processing developed in the early 20th century in Scandinavia. The fatty acids derived from tall oil were subsequently adopted by the cosmetics industry in the mid-20th century as emulsifiers and thickening agents.
Skin Types
●all-skin-types
Best For
General
Pregnancy & Breastfeeding Safe
Yes
Amended Safety Assessment of Tall Oil Acid, Sodium Tallate, Potassium Tallate and Ammonium Tallate
Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel
International Journal of Toxicology
Final Report on the Safety Assessment of Tall Oil Acid
Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel
International Journal of Toxicology
Tall Oil Acid
European Commission
EU Cosmetic Ingredient Database (CosIng)
Tall Oil Acid
Environmental Working Group (EWG)
EWG Skin Deep Cosmetics Database
Amended safety assessment of tall oil acid, sodium tallate, potassium tallate, and ammonium tallate.
Robinson V, Bergfeld WF, Belsito DV, Klaassen CD, Marks JG Jr et al.
International journal of toxicology, 2009
Amended safety assessment of tall oil acid, sodium tallate, potassium tallate, and ammonium tallate.
Robinson V, Bergfeld WF, Belsito DV, Klaassen CD, Marks JG Jr et al.
International journal of toxicology, 2009
Amended safety assessment of tall oil acid, sodium tallate, potassium tallate, and ammonium tallate.
Robinson V, Bergfeld WF, Belsito DV, Klaassen CD, Marks JG Jr et al.
International journal of toxicology, 2009
Amended safety assessment of tall oil acid, sodium tallate, potassium tallate, and ammonium tallate.
Robinson V, Bergfeld WF, Belsito DV, Klaassen CD, Marks JG Jr et al.
International journal of toxicology, 2009
Verified Jun 2026
Data: CosIng · EWG · CIR