Is CETYL ALCOHOL safe to use in EU cosmetics?

CETYL ALCOHOL is listed in the EU CosIng ingredient inventory with no direct annex restriction records linked at this time. Always verify against the current official CosIng database before formulating.

What function does CETYL ALCOHOL serve in cosmetics?

According to the EU CosIng inventory, CETYL ALCOHOL carries the following function designation(s): EMULSION STABILISING, FRAGRANCE, OPACIFYING, SKIN CONDITIONING - EMOLLIENT, SURFACTANT - CLEANSING, SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING, SURFACTANT - FOAM BOOSTING, VISCOSITY CONTROLLING.

What other records share CAS 36653-82-4?

CAS 36653-82-4 may appear across multiple EU annex records. The CAS lookup page shows all Annex II–VI entries sharing this identifier, useful for identifying cross-annex regulatory status of the same chemical substance.

How do I check if my formula contains CETYL ALCOHOL?

Use the INCI Checker to screen a full ingredient list across selected markets, or use the substance market comparison to review this identity across all supported market datasets.

InventoryRef 3259615/10/2010

CETYL ALCOHOL

Hexadecan-1-ol

CETYL ALCOHOL is listed in the EU CosIng inventory, but no direct annex records are linked on this page yet.

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Regulatory evidence by market

No rule for this ingredient has been imported for any of the 13 markets tracked here.

That describes this inventory, not the law. No imported rule is not evidence that an ingredient is permitted: a rule may exist under another name or identifier, or in a dataset not yet imported here.

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Chemical identity and properties

PubChem 2D chemical structure for CAS 36653-82-4

CAS 36653-82-4PubChem CID 2682

Cetyl Alcohol

Hexadecan-1-ol is a long-chain primary fatty alcohol that is hexadecane substituted by a hydroxy group at position 1. It has a role as a flavouring agent, a plant metabolite, a human metabolite and an algal metabolite. It is a hexadecanol and a long-chain primary fatty alcohol. — ChEBI

IUPAC name: hexadecan-1-ol

Molecular formula: C16H34O
Molecular weight: 242.44 g/mol
Exact mass: 242.260965704 Da
XLogP3: 7.3
Topological polar surface area: 20.2 Å²
Hydrogen-bond donors: 1
Hydrogen-bond acceptors: 1
Covalent units: 1
Defined stereocentres: 0

Also known as

1-HexadecanolPalmityl alcoholCetanolHexadecyl alcoholCetaffineN-Hexadecanoln-Cetyl alcoholCetylol

16 more reported names

n-1-HexadecanolCetalEthalEtholCetylic alcoholCrodacol Cn-Hexadecyl alcoholLoxanol KAtalco CCetalol CACrodacol-CASCrodacol-CATLoxanwachs SKLoxanol K extraCachalot C-51Elfacos C

Open full PubChem record PubChem annotations 3D structure image

External database identifiers

ChEBI:CHEBI:16125
ChEMBL:CHEMBL706
EPA DTXSID:DTXSID4027991
PubMed:23109878
PubMed:22885112
PubMed:22882126
PubMed:22864511
PubMed:22755140
PubMed:22679362
PubMed:22606064
PubMed:22561957
PubMed:22515104
PubMed:22508945
PubMed:22450056
PubMed:22423327

Retrieved from NIH PubChem on 2026-08-31 by checksum-valid CAS matching. Chemical properties do not replace the regulatory decision on this page.

Inventory details for CETYL ALCOHOL

INCI name

CETYL ALCOHOL

INN name

cetyl alcohol

Ph. Eur. name

alcohol cetylicus

Description

Hexadecan-1-ol

Record provenance

Inventory reference: 32596
Imported identity: CETYL ALCOHOL
Source update: 15/10/2010

European Commission CosIng source notes

Annex records for CETYL ALCOHOL

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Key data

CAS

36653-82-4

253-149-0

Restriction

—

Function

EMULSION STABILISING: Helping the process of emulsification and improving emulsion stability and shelf-life.
FRAGRANCE: Imparting an odour or taste. Creating a perceivable pleasant smell and/or masking a bad smell.
OPACIFYING: Reducing transparency or translucency of cosmetics.
SKIN CONDITIONING - EMOLLIENT: Acting as lubricants on the skin surface providing the skin with a soft and smooth appearance.
SURFACTANT - CLEANSING: Wetting body surfaces, emulsifying or solubilizing oils, and suspending soil (generally, such ingredients contribute to the foaming and lathering properties of cleansing products).
SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING: Helping suspensions or dispersions of liquids in a second liquid by reducing the surface tension of the substances to be emulsified.
SURFACTANT - FOAM BOOSTING: Increasing foaming capacity and/or stabilizing foams in general.
VISCOSITY CONTROLLING: Increasing or decreasing the viscosity (thickness) of cosmetics.

Official EU ingredient-name evidence

The ingredient name exactly matches the official 2025 EU glossary of common ingredient names.

#5962 · CETYL ALCOHOL

Ingredients with overlapping formulation functions

CERA MICROCRISTALLINABINDING, EMULSION STABILISING, OPACIFYING, VISCOSITY CONTROLLING

CERESINANTISTATIC, BINDING, EMULSION STABILISING, HAIR CONDITIONING, OPACIFYING, VISCOSITY CONTROLLING

CERIUM OXIDEOPACIFYING

CETEARYL ALCOHOLEMULSION STABILISING, OPACIFYING, SKIN CONDITIONING - EMOLLIENT, SURFACTANT - CLEANSING, SURFACTANT…

CHALKABRASIVE, ABSORBENT, BULKING, OPACIFYING, VISCOSITY CONTROLLING

CHARCOALABRASIVE; ABSORBENT; DEODORANT; OPACIFYING

CHARCOAL EXTRACTOPACIFYING, SKIN CONDITIONING

CHARCOAL POWDERABRASIVE, ABSORBENT, OPACIFYING

Additional official and scientific sources

11 external databases to check this identity in

Each link searches that source for this identity. What each source is, and its legal weight

ECHA CHEM / Information on chemicals PubChem PUG REST EU Safety Gate cosmetic product alerts ECHA CHEM US EPA CompTox Cosmetic Ingredient Review safety assessments FDA Global Substance Registration System ILO/WHO International Chemical Safety Cards Japan NITE-CHRIP NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards OECD eChemPortal

How CETYL ALCOHOL appears in the CosIng inventory

The CosIng inventory lists CETYL ALCOHOL as a cosmetic ingredient and this page links it to 0 annex records. The inventory entry captures names and identifiers, while the annex records show where the substance is prohibited, restricted or positively listed in EU cosmetics law.

CETYL ALCOHOL is also tagged with 8 cosmetic functions in the official data. Function labels describe intended use, but they do not replace regulatory review of linked annex records before formulation or labelling work.

Frequently asked questions

CETYL ALCOHOL is listed in the EU CosIng ingredient inventory with no direct annex restriction records linked at this time. Absence of an annex link does not guarantee unrestricted use — always verify against the current official CosIng database before formulating.

According to the EU CosIng inventory, CETYL ALCOHOL carries the following function designation(s):

CAS 36653-82-4 may appear across multiple EU annex records. Viewing the CAS lookup page shows all Annex II–VI entries sharing this identifier, which is useful for identifying cross-annex regulatory status of the same chemical substance.

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Use the INCI Checker to screen a full ingredient list across selected markets, or compare this substance across all supported market datasets.

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Source note for CETYL ALCOHOL

This page reproduces the CosIng inventory entry for CETYL ALCOHOL from public European Commission cosmetic ingredient materials and shows linked identifiers even when no direct annex match is currently attached.

Use this inventory page to research CETYL ALCOHOL and compare linked records, but verify restrictions and legal status against the current official source text and law before making regulatory decisions.

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Tools & next steps

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