Common Name(s): Cetostearyl alcohol,c16-18 fatty alcohol

CAS Number: 8005-44-5

DESCRIPTION

What It Does: Provides fatty alcohol emulsification and thickening for stable, well-textured emulsions.

Why It's Used: The most widely used fatty alcohol in cosmetics – provides emulsification, thickening, and emolliency simultaneously from a single ingredient with excellent safety profile.

How It Works: Forms bilayer lamellar structures in water with emulsifiers creating a viscous structured network that thickens and stabilizes emulsions. fatty alcohol emolliency provides direct skin conditioning. bilayer formation reduces inter-droplet coalescence in emulsions.

Typically Found In: Creams,lotions,conditioners – virtually all emulsion products

TECHNICAL DETAILS

Primary Category: Functional ingredient – fatty alcohol emulsifier/thickener

Secondary Functions: Barrier sealing,softening

Application Areas:

Typical Concentration Range: 1%–25%

SOURCING & ETHICS

Vegan Status: Yes - standard ethanol routes are non-animal; confirm denaturant origin

Halal Status: Conditional - ethanol production route and residual concentration; jurisdiction-dependent, refer to certifier stance

Source Notes: Plant-derived, synthetic or animal-derived. verify source. [audit 2026-07-29 rev2: ethanol pathway; determination depends on route, on whether the plant also produces beverage alcohol, and on residual concentration. determination requires shariah-panel sign-off.]

SKIN COMPATIBILITY

Irritancy Rating: 1/5 – very low

Comedogenicity Rating: 1/5 – low; formulation-dependent

Sensitivity Concerns: Non-irritating.

Safe for Sensitive Skin: Yes

SAFETY & COMPATIBILITY

Safety Profile: Excellent safety profile. ewg score: 1.

Works Well With: Humectants,ceramides,actives as carrier

Avoid Combining With: No significant incompatibilities

SCIENTIFIC NOTE

Cetearyl alcohol's ability to form lamellar liquid crystal structures ('krafft phases') with water and co-emulsifiers provides not only emulsion stability but also enhanced skin penetration via the lamellar skin barrier pathway. these crystalline structures can act as a reservoir for active ingredients, slowly releasing them as the lamellar structure melts on skin contact.

Last Verified: 2026-03-12

Primary Sources: Cosing database,cir safety assessment