Emollient Good Emollient No known benefits Emollient description Supple, waxlike, lubricating, thickening agent that prevents water loss and has a softening and soothing effect on skin. Examples of emollients are ingredients like plant oils, mineral oil, shea butter, cocoa butter, petrolatum, and fatty acids (animal oils, including emu, mink, and lanolin, the latter probably the one ingredient that is most like our own skin’s oil). More technical-sounding emollient ingredients, such as triglycerides, benzoates, myristates, palmitates, and stearates, are generally waxy in texture and appearance but provide most moisturisers with their elegant texture and feel.