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INCI ingredient

Cetearyl Alcohol

Also listed as: Alcool Cétéarylique, Cetearyl Alkohol, Cetearyl Alcohol/Alcool Cétéarylique, Cetearyl Alcool

A fatty alcohol that thickens creams and makes them feel rich. It is a wax, not a drying alcohol.

What it triggers

  • Vegan originNot sureplant or animal source
  • FragranceNonot a perfume ingredient
  • ParabenNonot a preservative of this family
  • SulfateNonot a sulfate surfactant
  • SiliconeNonot a silicone
  • AlcoholNonot a drying alcohol

What it does

Cetearyl alcohol is a blend of cetyl and stearyl alcohols, both waxy solids made from vegetable oils or, less often, from animal fat. It gives lotions their body and stops the water and oil from separating.

The word alcohol confuses people. Fatty alcohols soften the skin; they are the opposite of the drying alcohols like Alcohol Denat. That is why it never counts against the alcohol-free check. Its plant or animal origin is not stated on the label, so it makes the vegan check say not sure.

Functions: emollient, thickener, emulsion stabiliser

Products with Cetearyl Alcohol

in 1,832 products

Showing 24 of 1,832 products with this ingredient, most scanned first.

Classification from the INCI name; product lists from Open Beauty Facts.Report a mistake