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Cetearyl Alcohol

Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol: a mixture of cetyl and stearyl alcohols. In creams, lotions and conditioners it softens, thickens the product and helps keep oil and water mixed. Despite the word "alcohol", it is not the ethanol listed as Alcohol or Alcohol Denat., and the US FDA notes that fatty alcohols affect the skin quite differently from ethyl alcohol.

Checked against 8 sources on 11 October 2026. How pages are written

What it is

The EU's CosIng database describes cetearyl alcohol as "Alcohols, C16-18", and gives its European Pharmacopoeia name as alcohol cetylicus et stearylicus: cetyl and stearyl alcohol.1 Cetyl Alcohol is hexadecan-1-ol, a chain of 16 carbon atoms, and Stearyl Alcohol is octadecan-1-ol, a chain of 18.23

What it does in a formula

CosIng lists seven functions for it: emollient, emulsifying, emulsion stabilising, foam boosting, opacifying, cleansing and viscosity controlling.1 In plain terms, it softens the skin's surface, helps oil and water stay mixed, makes a product less see-through and adjusts how thick it is.

Much of the thickening comes from structure. In a study of oil-in-water creams, what gave the cream its semisolid body was a gel network formed by cetyl alcohol, a non-ionic surfactant and water.4 In other words, a fatty alcohol thickens a cream together with the emulsifier and the water around it.

Do not confuse it with the ceteareths, such as Ceteareth-20. Those are polyethylene glycol (PEG) ethers made from cetearyl alcohol and used as surfactants: related, but different ingredients with their own names.5

Not the alcohol in "alcohol-free"

The US FDA explains that in cosmetic labelling the word "alcohol" on its own means ethyl alcohol. Products labelled "alcohol free" may still contain fatty alcohols such as cetyl, stearyl or cetearyl alcohol, and the effects of these on the skin are quite different from those of ethyl alcohol.6

On a label, ethanol appears as Alcohol, which CosIng describes as undenatured ethyl alcohol7, or as Alcohol Denat., the generic name for denatured alcohol introduced in Europe; US packs may say SD Alcohol followed by a number.6 Cetearyl Alcohol is none of these.

What sources say

Allergic contact dermatitis from cetearyl alcohol has been described in case reports, for example in two people who reacted to an ointment because of the cetearyl alcohol it contained.8 A case report shows that a reaction can happen; it does not show how often it does. If you have had a confirmed reaction to it, its name on the list is what to look for.

How it appears on a label

As Cetearyl Alcohol. Its relatives have their own names: Cetyl Alcohol and Stearyl Alcohol for the single alcohols, and Ceteareth followed by a number for the PEG ethers. An "alcohol-free" claim and Cetearyl Alcohol on the same pack are not a contradiction.6

What it does in a formula

Softens and smoothsOfficial EU function: Skin conditioning - emollient
Cleanses and foamsOfficial EU function: Surfactant - cleansing
Helps oil and water mixOfficial EU function: Surfactant - emulsifying
Gives the textureOfficial EU function: Viscosity controlling
Makes the formula less see-throughOfficial EU function: Opacifying

Sources

  1. European Commission. CosIng entry CETEARYL ALCOHOL: INCI name, chemical description, European Pharmacopoeia name and functions, as exported on 9 October 2026. ec.europa.eu Checked 11 October 2026.
  2. European Commission. CosIng entry CETYL ALCOHOL: INCI name, chemical name, European Pharmacopoeia name and functions, as exported on 9 October 2026. ec.europa.eu Checked 11 October 2026.
  3. European Commission. CosIng entry STEARYL ALCOHOL: INCI name, chemical name and functions, as exported on 9 October 2026. ec.europa.eu Checked 11 October 2026.
  4. Ribeiro HM, Morais JA, Eccleston GM. Structure and rheology of semisolid o/w creams containing cetyl alcohol/non-ionic surfactant mixed emulsifier and different polymers. International Journal of Cosmetic Science 2004;26(2):47-59. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov Checked 11 October 2026.
  5. Andersen FA (Cosmetic Ingredient Review). Final report on the safety assessment of Ceteareth-2 to Ceteareth-100. International Journal of Toxicology 1999;18(Suppl 3):41-49. Abstract in the US EPA HERO database. hero.epa.gov Checked 11 October 2026.
  6. US Food and Drug Administration. "Alcohol Free" (cosmetics labeling claims; content current as of 25 February 2022). fda.gov Checked 11 October 2026.
  7. European Commission. CosIng entry ALCOHOL: INCI name, description and functions, as exported on 9 October 2026. ec.europa.eu Checked 11 October 2026.
  8. Armengot-Carbo MA, Rodríguez-Serna M, Taberner-Bonastre P, Miquel-Miquel J. Allergic contact dermatitis from cetearyl alcohol in Thrombocid ointment. Dermatology Online Journal 2016;22(7). pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov Checked 11 October 2026.

Written for this site from the sources above and checked against them on 11 October 2026. Not reviewed by a dermatologist or toxicologist, and not medical advice. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.