Cholesterol → Cetyl Stearate

Examples of encapsulants include polymers and waxes. Waxes are water insoluble, organic materials that are solid or semi-solid at room temperature, usually of lower density than water, and typically can be melted above room temperature to form a liquid. Preferred waxes include any naturally occurring and synthetic waxes, wax esters, and greases that generally have a melting temperature of 30° C. or more, with a melting range of less than 10° C., and that are usually non-reactive with the reagents or solvents to which they are exposed. Examples of waxes include esters of various long-chain (fatty) alcohols and long-chain acids, preferably where at least one member of the ester has 10 or more carbon atoms, including various unsaturated and branched chain types and also those esters of glycerols and sterols. Also, certain free alcohols or acids have wax-like properties of melting temperature and inertness. Examples of saturated fatty acids that may be encapsulants include capric, lauric, myristic, palmitic, margaric, stearic, arachidic, behenic, tetracosanic, lignoceric, cerotic, and melissic. Examples of unsaturated fatty acids that may be encapsulants include tiglic, hypogaeic, gaidic, physetoleic, elaidic, oleic, isooleic, erudic, brassidic, and isoerudic. Examples of fatty alcohols that may be encapsulants include octadecyl, carnaubyl, ceryl, melissyl, and phytol. Also included are various esters of these and other fatty acids with any suitable fatty alcohols, or sterols such as cholesterol, or glycerols. Other examples include natural or suitably modified or derivatized waxes such as various plant derived waxes, greases and oils including carnauba wax, cranberry wax, ouricuri wax, candelilla wax, raphia wax, apple, cotton and cactus waxes; waxes (including greases) produced by bacteria (e.g. cetyl stearate); fungi, protozoa and algae; various invertebrate waxes and greases including insect waxes such as beeswaxes (e.g. triacontyl palmitate, palmatyl palmitate), and Coccus sp. derived waxes (e.g. lac, cochineal and Chinese insect); other animal fats (e.g. triglycerides) and waxes including spermaceti (e.g. cetyl palmitate), lanolin and wool grease.