A composition comprising a) one or more compounds of the formula in which the radical R in formula is a straight-chain alkyl radical having 7 to 9 carbon atoms, and b) one or more alcohols, the one or more substances of component b) are selected from compounds of the formula in which X is O or CH 2, Y is H, CH 3, OH or OCH 3, Z is H or a halogen atom and the compound of the formula may contain 1 to 4 halogen atoms Z, and R is a straight-chain or branched saturated alkyl group which contains 1 to 6 carbon atoms and in which 1 or 2 hydrogen atoms are replaced by hydroxyl groups (OH groups) or is a straight-chain or branched mono- or polyunsaturated, preferably monounsaturated, alkenyl group which contains 2 to 6 carbon atoms and in which 1 or 2 hydrogen atoms are replaced by hydroxyl groups (OH groups), where the composition comprises, in addition to the one or more compounds of the formula, one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of sorbitol, sorbitol esters, sorbitan, sorbitan esters, isosorbide, isosorbide diesters and carboxylic acids, where the carboxylic acids themselves and the carboxylic acids on which the acid components of the esters mentioned are based correspond to the formula RCOOH in which R has the meaning given for formula, and the hydroxyl value of the mixture of the one or more compounds of the formula and the one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of sorbitol, sorbitol esters, sorbitan, sorbitan esters, isosorbide, isosorbide diesters and carboxylic acids is smaller than or equal to 245. a) one or more compounds of the formula in which the radical R in formula is a straight-chain alkyl radical having 7 to 9 carbon atoms, and b) one or more alcohols, the one or more substances of component b) are selected from compounds of the formula in which X is O or CH 2, Y is H, CH 3, OH or OCH 3, Z is H or a halogen atom and the compound of the formula may contain 1 to 4 halogen atoms Z, and R is a straight-chain or branched saturated alkyl group which contains 1 to 6 carbon atoms and in which 1 or 2 hydrogen atoms are replaced by hydroxyl groups (OH groups) or is a straight-chain or branched mono- or polyunsaturated, preferably monounsaturated, alkenyl group which contains 2 to 6 carbon atoms and in which 1 or 2 hydrogen atoms are replaced by hydroxyl groups (OH groups), where the composition comprises, in addition to the one or more compounds of the formula, one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of sorbitol, sorbitol esters, sorbitan, sorbitan esters, isosorbide, isosorbide diesters and carboxylic acids, where the carboxylic acids themselves and the carboxylic acids on which the acid components of the esters mentioned are based correspond to the formula RCOOH in which R has the meaning given for formula, and the hydroxyl value of the mixture of the one or more compounds of the formula and the one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of sorbitol, sorbitol esters, sorbitan, sorbitan esters, isosorbide, isosorbide diesters and carboxylic acids is smaller than or equal to 245. X is O or CH 2, Y is H, CH 3, OH or OCH 3, Z is H or a halogen atom and the compound of the formula may contain 1 to 4 halogen atoms Z, and R is a straight-chain or branched saturated alkyl group which contains 1 to 6 carbon atoms and in which 1 or 2 hydrogen atoms are replaced by hydroxyl groups (OH groups) or is a straight-chain or branched mono- or polyunsaturated, preferably monounsaturated, alkenyl group which contains 2 to 6 carbon atoms and in which 1 or 2 hydrogen atoms are replaced by hydroxyl groups (OH groups),