Very Disliked
Stearyl Alcohol
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
Stearyl Alcohol is a type of fatty alcohol from stearic acid. It is a white, waxy compound used to emulsify ingredients.
Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product. Emollients help soothe and hydrate the skin by trapping moisture.
They are usually derived from natural fats and oils and therefore do not have the same drying or irritating effect as solvent alcohols. FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
See all 3,361 products with Stearyl Alcohol
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
Alternative names
Octadecan-1-Ol
Prevalence
Uncommon
Percentage of products that contain it
3.6%
Top categories
Moisturizers
Haircare
Cleansers
Position
Predominant list placement
Top 25%
Concentration
Concentrations we've seen
6% to
8%
References
Products with Stearyl Alcohol
CosIng Data
CosIng ID
38319
INCI Name
STEARYL ALCOHOL
INN Name
stearyl alcohol
EC #
 204-017-6
Ph. Eur. Name
alcohol stearylicus
All Functions
Emollient, Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising, Foam Boosting, Masking, Opa CI Fying, Refatting, Surfactant, Viscosity Controlling
