Very Disliked

Cetyl Alcohol

Explained

Cetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.

Its main roles are:

  • Emollient: helping hydrate skin by trapping moisture
  • Emulsifer: preventing ingredients from separating
  • Thickening: making the product texture thicker

Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol. The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.

See all 6,964 products with Cetyl Alcohol

Comedogenic Rating
2
Irritancy Rating
2
Users who like it
4%
Users who avoid it
96%

What it does

Emollient Having the quality of softening or soothing the skin.
Emulsifying The act of emulsion: a suspension of small globules of one liquid in a second liquid with which the first will not mix
Emulsion Stabilising Stabiliziing emulsion, making two non-mixable ingredients stable
Masking Obscuring or blocking

Prevalence

Somewhat common Percentage of products that contain it
8%
Top categories
Moisturizers
Treatments
Sunscreens
Position Predominant list placement
Top 25%
Concentration Concentrations we've seen
2% to 6%

References

CosIng Data

CosIng ID 32596
INCI Name CETYL ALCOHOL
INN Name cetyl alcohol
EC #  253-149-0
Ph. Eur. Name alcohol cetylicus
All Functions Emollient, Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising, Foam Boosting, Masking, Opa CI Fying, Surfactant, Viscosity Controlling