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Softeners and thickeners

Cetyl alcohol

INCI: CETYL ALCOHOL · also 1-Hexadecanol

An “alcohol” that is a waxy white solid.

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C16H34O242.44 g/mol
oxygencarbonhydrogen
3D shape from PubChem 2682

How common

All products7.6%
In conditioners35%
In hair colours28%
In body lotions26%

1,118 of 14,784 products with a full ingredient list in Open Beauty Facts; No. 35 of all the names found on their labels.

What it is

  • A fatty alcohol with a 16-carbon chain. Despite the name it is nothing like drinking alcohol: it is a waxy white solid that does not dissolve in water.

    3 sourcesHide
    Hexadecan-1-ol is a long-chain primary fatty alcohol that is hexadecane substituted by a hydroxy group at position 1.[1] PubChem (US National Library of Medicine) · open source
    Cetyl alcohol is present in a waxy white powder or flake form at room temperature, and is insoluble in water and soluble in alcohols and oils.[1] PubChem (US National Library of Medicine) · open source
    Clear, colourless, mobile liquid[2] PubChem (US National Library of Medicine) · open source

Why it is in products

  • To make products opaque and thicker, to help oil and water mix (an emulsifier) and to steady foam; also as an emollient that keeps skin from drying and chapping.

    2 sourcesHide
    Mainly it is used as an opacifier, emulsifier, and thickening agent that alter the thickness of the liquid, and increase and stabilize the foaming capacity.[1] PubChem (US National Library of Medicine) · open source
    cetyl alcohol is commonly used as an emollient that prevents drying and chapping of the skin[1] PubChem (US National Library of Medicine) · open source

Downsides and safety

  • It is reported to be a mild skin or eye irritant. Allergy is uncommon: emulsifiers like it rarely cause allergic dermatitis.

    Some evidence2 sourcesHide
    Cetyl alcohol is reported to be a mild skin or eye irritant.[1] PubChem (US National Library of Medicine) · open source
    Emulsifiers are an uncommon cause of allergic contact dermatitis.[3] Study · 1997 · open source

Where it works

SurfaceOuter layer(stratum corneum)Living layer(epidermis)Dermis

On the skin’s surface, where as an emollient it helps keep skin from drying.

SourceHide
cetyl alcohol is commonly used as an emollient that prevents drying and chapping of the skin[1] PubChem (US National Library of Medicine) · open source

Rules

European Union

  • No EU limit: it is not on the regulation’s lists of banned or restricted substances, preservatives or UV filters.

    How we checkedHide
    We searched Annexes II to VI of the EU regulation (consolidated text of 18 May 2026): no entry.open the list

United States

  • Not on the FDA’s list of prohibited or restricted cosmetic ingredients. In the US, cosmetics and their ingredients (other than colour additives) don’t need FDA approval before sale.

    SourceHide
    Under U.S. law, cosmetic products and ingredients, other than color additives, do not need FDA approval before they go on the market[4] US Food and Drug Administration · open source
    We searched the FDA’s list of prohibited and restricted cosmetic ingredients: no entry.open the list

Sources

  1. PubChem: Cetyl alcohol (CID 2682), record description PubChem (US National Library of Medicine)PubChem (US National Library of Medicine)
  2. PubChem: Ethanol (CID 702), physical description NCBI PubChemPubChem (US National Library of Medicine)
  3. Contact dermatitis from cetostearyl alcohol Rademaker M et al., The Australasian journal of dermatology, 1997Study
  4. Prohibited & Restricted Ingredients in Cosmetics | FDA US Food and Drug Administration

Checked against these sources on 4 November 2026. Spot a mistake? Tell us.