Lauric acid is generally found in palm and coconut oils and also in milk. It is also known as dodecanoic acid in some regions. The compound is a white and powdery solid. It has a faint-like odor of soap or bay oil. The compound has a 12-carbon atom chain and is, therefore, categorized with other medium chain saturated fatty acids. Lauric acid is comparatively less expensive than the other fatty acids and remains potent for a long period of time. As a result, it is widely used in the food and beverages and cosmetic and personal care industries.
A key factor fueling the surge in the demand for lauric acid is the increasing usage of the compound in textile, pharmaceuticals, and food and beverages industries. The changing lifestyles and eating habits of people in many countries have massively increased the consumption of processed food items, which has further boosted the requirement of lauric acid as this compound is extensively used as an additive in the food and beverage industry.
The other major factor responsible for the growing demand for lauric acid is the rapid growth of the textile industry across the world. In addition to this, the rising consumer awareness of health and wellness is further pushing the utilization of the compound in various personal care and pharmaceutical applications. The rising consciousness amongst people about appearance has significantly boosted the sales of grooming and beauty products. As a result, the companies operating in the personal care products industry are enhancing their production capacities, which is, in turn, creating a huge requirement of emulsifier.
Lauric acid is one of the most commonly used emulsifiers, primarily due to its low cost, long shelf life, and non-toxicity. It has been denoted as GRAS (Generally Regarded as Safe) for use in cosmetics by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (U.S. FDA), which has further boosted its usage in various cosmetics applications. Due to these factors, the global lauric acid market is predicted to demonstrate rapid advancement in the coming years.
Cosmetic and personal care, pharmaceuticals, and food and beverages industries are the main application areas of lauric acid. Out of these, significantly high usage of the compound is currently being observed in the cosmetic and personal care industry. This is because of the burgeoning requirement of grooming and personal care products, on account of the increasing disposable income of people in several countries and the rising consciousness amongst people regarding looks and appearance.
This is attributed to the soaring urban population, increasing per capita income of the people in various APAC countries, and the changing living standards of inhabitants of the region. In addition to this, the presence of flourishing cosmetics and personal, food and beverages, textile, plastics and polymers, and pharmaceutical industries is massively contributing toward the growth of the market in the region.
Hence, it can be safely said that the requirement of lauric acid will surge throughout the world in the coming years, primarily because of its ballooning utilization in the cosmetic and personal care and food and beverages industries.
