A blend of cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol, the fatty alcohols that are derived from palm oil. It helps to create emulsions that give off a soft and silky emollient feel and also increase product thickness.
Functions
Emollient,
Emollient
Emollients fill the micro-cracks in the skin and leave it feeling soft and pleasant to the touch. Emollients are often mistakenly perceived as moisturizing ingredients.
Emollient,
Emollient
Emollients fill the micro-cracks in the skin and leave it feeling soft and pleasant to the touch. Emollients are often mistakenly perceived as moisturizing ingredients.
Emulsifying,
Emulsifying
Emulsifying – helps to mix water and oil together.
Emulsifying,
Emulsifying
Emulsifying – helps to mix water and oil together.
Emulsion Stabilizing,
Emulsion Stabilizing
Emulsion stabilizing – increases the stability of a formula.
Emulsion Stabilizing,
Emulsion Stabilizing
Emulsion stabilizing – increases the stability of a formula.
Foaming,
Foaming
Foaming – creates foam of varying densities.
Foaming,
Foaming
Foaming – creates foam of varying densities.
Opacifying,
Opacifying
Opacifying – reflects light and creates opaque products.
Opacifying,
Opacifying
Opacifying – reflects light and creates opaque products.
Viscosity Controlling
Viscosity Controlling
Viscosity controlling – changes the thickness of a product.
Viscosity Controlling
Viscosity Controlling
Viscosity controlling – changes the thickness of a product.
Origin
Botanical,
Botanical
Ingredients derived from plants, mosses, and lichens: extracts, oils, powders, juices and other types of processed plant materials.
Botanical,
Botanical
Ingredients derived from plants, mosses, and lichens: extracts, oils, powders, juices and other types of processed plant materials.
Synthetic
Synthetic
All kinds of ingredients formulated or produced by a chemical process, or those that have a chemical modification in their structure.
Synthetic
Synthetic
All kinds of ingredients formulated or produced by a chemical process, or those that have a chemical modification in their structure.
Overview
Cetearyl alcohol is a white, waxy solid supplied in a pellet or a flake. This ingredient is a blend of the fatty alcohols cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol, and it is used as a co-emulsifier in the production of oil-in-water emulsions.
Although it cannot emulsify oil and water on its own, cetearyl alcohol is a critical component in many oil-in-water emulsions. Generally paired with a more oil-loving emulsifier, such as cetearyl glucoside, it helps create emulsions that give off a soft and silky emollient feel.
It is also an excellent viscosity controlling agent. The more cetearyl alcohol that is added to the product, the higher the viscosity will be, and occasionally, it is used to increase the thickness of waterless, or anhydrous, systems as well. This structuring capability of cetearyl alcohol makes it useful for stabilizing emulsions, which lends to its ability to function as a co-emulsifier.
Due to the co-emulsifying trait of this ingredient, it also is considered an opacifier because emulsions are always opaque. Cetearyl alcohol is a natural ingredient, with both components of its blend being derived from palm oil.
When combined with ceteareth-20, cetearyl alcohol forms a comedogenic mix (according to acne.org).
