Disliked
Octyldodecanol
Fatty Alcohol
Fatty alcohols (like cetyl, stearyl, or cetearyl alcohol) are moisturizing ingredients that help thicken products. Despite the similar name, they're nothing like drying alcohols. Some people find them pore-clogging, but many tolerate them well.
Explained
Octyldodecanol is a fatty alcohol sourced from plant oils like coconut or palm (or made synthetically).
It is:
- an emollient that helps soften and hydrate skin
- a co-emulsifier that keeps ingredients from separating
- a viscosity controller used to add silk and slip while acting as a silicone alternative
- anti-foaming agent
- a solvent to help other ingredients dissolve
You'll likely see this in many BHA products because this is the go-to solvent for salicylic acid.
This ingredient is typically used at levels between 2-20%.
Regarding fungal acne:
In 2019, this ingredient was tested against multiple Malassezia species (the yeast that causes fungal acne) and showed no growth.
See all 7,883 products with Octyldodecanol
Users who like it
21%
Users who avoid it
79%
What it does
Emollient
Having the quality of softening or soothing the skin.
Masking
Obscuring or blocking
Prevalence
Somewhat common
Percentage of products that contain it
6.1%
Top categories
Makeup
Lip Care
Moisturizers
Position
Predominant list placement
Top 25%
Concentration
Concentrations we've seen
6%
References
CosIng Data
CosIng ID
35610
INCI Name
OCTYLDODECANOL
EC #
 226-242-9
All Functions
Emollient, Masking, Perfuming
