Cetyl Alcohol

Recommended for use in making: Crèmes/lotions; Candles; Lip care; Skin care; Hair care. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty substance and comes in a form of a solid wax. Cetearyl Alcohol is a combination of mostly Stearyl and Cetyl fatty alcohols. Both alcohols derived from plant sources like coconut or palm oils and, thus, Cetearyl Alcohol is a vegetable derived product as well. However, it is not your typical drying grain alcohol; it is, actually, often used as a moisturizing ingredient in cosmetics products like lotions and crèmes. It is oil soluble and needs to be melted prior adding to the formulations (can be melted together with your oils/butters). When Cetearyl alcohol is added to the products (crèmes, lotions, conditioners, candles…) it will, also, serve as a thickener, emollient, co-emulsifier and/or opacifier and, in addition, can impart an emollient feel to the skin . Cetearyl alcohol is a “sibling” of other fatty alcohols like Cetyl, Stearyl or Behenyl. Although similar it is still different. Thus, you could use it alone or in combination with other fatty alcohols in your formulations to achieve different feel, texture and thickness of your final products like crèmes, lotions, skin/hair conditioners.