Barrier

Dicaprylyl Carbonate

INCI · Dicaprylyl Carbonate

Revelika safety grade

Overview

A very light, dry-feeling emollient ester that thins out heavy oils and makes creams spread easily. It is also a good solvent for oil-soluble UV filters, so it turns up constantly in sunscreens where texture is the hardest problem to solve.

Who it's for

Sunscreens and fluid moisturisers, and anyone who dislikes a greasy afterfeel.

Cautions

A carrier and texture ingredient with no active benefit; it does not make a sunscreen more protective, only more pleasant to wear.

Suitability
Suits skin type
Dry Oily Combination Sensitive Acne-prone Mature Normal
Targets
Concentration
Concentration0 – 10%
Effective from
Max safe
In the glossary
Frequently asked
What does Dicaprylyl Carbonate do in skincare?

A very light, dry-feeling emollient ester that thins out heavy oils and makes creams spread easily. It is also a good solvent for oil-soluble UV filters, so it turns up constantly in sunscreens where texture is the hardest problem to solve.

Is Dicaprylyl Carbonate considered safe for skin?

A carrier and texture ingredient with no active benefit; it does not make a sunscreen more protective, only more pleasant to wear.

RRevelika

A science-forward beauty ingredient encyclopedia. Every entry is written from published research and graded conservatively before it publishes.

Editorial standard

Content is educational, not medical advice. When evidence is uncertain we say so — and we default to caution on pregnancy safety.

We use Google Analytics and Yandex Metrica (including Webvisor session recording) to understand how the site is used. In the EEA and UK these load only after you accept analytics cookies, and you can withdraw consent at any time by declining.

© 2026 REVELIKA · Built by ThirteenTabsEvidence-based · written from published research, graded conservatively