Cetyl Alcohol
Cetyl Alcohol is a cosmetic ingredient used as a skin conditioning - emollient, surfactant - emulsifying agent. It appears in about 8% of cosmetic products in our 90,000+ product dataset. It is regulated in the EU (listed in a Cosmetics Regulation annex). PubMed carries 87 studies of its skin or topical use.
| INCI name | CETYL ALCOHOL |
| Function | SKIN CONDITIONING - EMOLLIENT, SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING, EMULSION STABILISING, SURFACTANT - FOAM BOOSTING |
| CAS number | 36653-82-4 |
| EC number | 253-149-0 |
| Prevalence | 7,166 products (7.72% of dataset) |
| Most used in | Skincare |
| EU status | Restricted (annex ) |
| Scientific studies | 87 on PubMed (skin/cosmetic/topical) |
| Monthly searches | 6,600 |
Used in
General Moisturizers 20.2%Conditioners 10.1%Body Lotions 9.6%Hair Masks 6%Eye Moisturizers 4.8%Sunscreens 4.8%
Frequently asked
- What does Cetyl Alcohol do in skincare?
- Cetyl Alcohol functions as a skin conditioning - emollient, surfactant - emulsifying agent in cosmetic formulas.
- Is Cetyl Alcohol allowed in cosmetics?
- Yes, but it is regulated in the EU — it appears in a Cosmetics Regulation annex with usage conditions.
- What products contain Cetyl Alcohol?
- It is most commonly found in Skincare products, especially general moisturizers (20.2% of its uses).
Manufacturers with experience using Cetyl Alcohol
Match with vetted US contract manufacturers that have hands-on experience formulating with this ingredient.