Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a cosmetic ingredient used as a skin conditioning - emollient, surfactant - emulsifying agent. It appears in about 1% of cosmetic products in our 90,000+ product dataset. It is regulated in the EU (listed in a Cosmetics Regulation annex). PubMed carries 6,895 studies of its skin or topical use.
| INCI name | CHOLESTEROL |
| Function | SKIN CONDITIONING - EMOLLIENT, SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING, SKIN CONDITIONING, LIGHT STABILIZER |
| CAS number | 57-88-5 |
| EC number | 200-353-2 |
| Prevalence | 793 products (0.85% of dataset) |
| Most used in | Skincare |
| EU status | Restricted (annex ) |
| Scientific studies | 6,895 on PubMed (skin/cosmetic/topical) |
| Monthly searches | 201,000 |
Used in
General Moisturizers 27.1%Serums 15.6%Face Cleansers 7.6%Toners 4.7%Facial Treatments 4.5%Body Lotions 4.3%
Frequently asked
- What does Cholesterol do in skincare?
- Cholesterol functions as a skin conditioning - emollient, surfactant - emulsifying agent in cosmetic formulas.
- Is Cholesterol allowed in cosmetics?
- Yes, but it is regulated in the EU — it appears in a Cosmetics Regulation annex with usage conditions.
- What products contain Cholesterol?
- It is most commonly found in Skincare products, especially general moisturizers (27.1% of its uses).
Manufacturers with experience using Cholesterol
Match with vetted US contract manufacturers that have hands-on experience formulating with this ingredient.