Isostearic acid is a fatty acid molecule with an 18-carbon atom chain backbone. It is an isomer of stearic acid, meaning that they both have a chemical formula of C18H36O2, but differ in the arrangement of their atoms. While stearic acid has a linear carbon chain with 18 carbon atoms, isosteric acid as a carbon chain with 17 atoms and a single carbon branch at the 16th carbon atom.
