Abstract: Mixtures of Guerbet alcohols, their use in cosmetic and/or pharmaceutical preparations, and also cosmetic and/or pharmaceutical preparations comprising mixtures of Guerbet alcohols are described. Of suitability as petroleum jelly substitute are in particular Guerbet alcohol mixtures with a melting range, measured by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), between ?20° C. and +70° C., where the width of the melting range comprises at least 30 temperature degrees and the maximum of the melting range is 35±10° C. These are obtainable for example by reacting a) 55 to 95% by weight of cetylstearyl alcohol, b) 5 to 45% by weight of fatty alcohols with a chain length of from 8 to 22 carbon atoms and c) optionally an aliphatic diol having at least 3 carbon atoms.

Abstract: Described herein are mixed ethers and cosmetic and/or pharmaceutical preparations comprising mixed ethers. Certain mixed ethers have a melting range between ?25° C. and +70° C., wherein the width of the melting range comprises at least 30 temperature degrees and the maximum of the melting range is 35 ±10° C. These mixed ethers are obtainable for example by condensation reaction of a) 25 to 90% by weight of unbranched fatty alcohols with a chain length of 12 to 19 carbon atoms; b) 5 to 50 by weight of isostearyl alcohol; c) 0 to 35% by weight of a fatty alcohol with a chain length of 20 and/or 22 carbon atoms; and d) 0 to 25% by weight of a fatty alcohol having 8 and/or 10 carbon atoms.

Abstract: The disclosed invention provides a process for the production of a benzoic acid ester by reaction of a benzoic acid component selected from benzoic acid or a benzoic acid ester with alcohol in the presence of a catalyst, characterized in that tin(II) oxide in combination with a phosphorus(I) compound is used as the catalyst. A phosphorus(I) acid or a salt thereof is preferably used as the phosphorus(I) compound. The resultant products can be used as constituents in cosmetic preparations.