Abstract Cosmetic applications using meadowfoam estolide require products of high purity and low color. To meet these two requirements, meadowfoam estolide was fractionated into monoestolide (dimer) and polyestolide (oligomers) by short-path molecular distillation. The distilled monoestolide had a Gardner Color of one compared with the undistilled material with a Gardner of 12. Flow rates and rotor temperatures were varied and the resultant fractionation of mono- and polyestolide were observed. Monoestolide in the distillate was increased to 89% (unprocessed material had 64% monoestolide) in a single-pass distillation (rotor temperature=200 °C) with residual monoestolide concentration in the residue of 18%. Multiple-pass distillation removed all of the monoestolide from the residue fraction. The split ratio (distillate to residue) was highest at the lower flow rate with the highest rotor temperature (325 °C). However, considerable amount of co-distillation of polyestolide (50%) was observed. Rotor temperatures beyond 250 °C gave significant declines in the purity of the distilled monoestolide even though the observed split ratio increased. Residual monoestolide composition in the residue was identical for both the low and high flow rates. In conclusion, meadowfoam estolide was successfully distilled into a low-color monoestolide fraction suitable for cosmetic applications using a laboratory molecular distillation unit and high vacuum.