The use of 2-butyloctyl (2-BO) esters (I) of 2-36C mono- or dicarboxylic acids in cosmetic and/or pharmaceutical preparations (A) is new, provided that 2-BO 2-butyloctanoate, 2-butyldecanoate, 2-hexyldecanoate and 2-octyldodecanoate are excluded. Some of the esters (I) are new compounds. Independent claims are included for: (1) the use of (I) (without the proviso) as oil component in (A) (2) (I) as new compounds, with the exception of (a) 2-BO acetate, octanoate, decanoate, dodecanoate, hexadecanoate, octadecanoate, 9(Z)-octadecenoate, 2-butyloctanoate and 2-butyldecanoate, (b) 2-BO esters of branched 16-24C monocarboxylic acids and (c) di-2-BO butanedioate, 1-(2,4,4-trimethylpentyl)-butanedioate, 1-(2-methylpropyl)-dioate, pentanedioate, 2,2-dimethylpentanoate, hexanedioate and octanedioate (3) the preparation of the new compounds (I) and (4) cosmetic and/or pharmaceutical preparations (A) containing at least one of the esters (I) (with the proviso), plus one or more of emulsifiers, surfactants, waxes, polymers and/or other oils.
