CETEARYL ALCOHOL
Alcohols, C16-18
CETEARYL ALCOHOL is listed in the EU CosIng inventory, but no direct annex records are linked on this page yet.
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.
Chemical identity and properties
Cetearyl alcohol
- IUPAC name
- hexadecan-1-ol;octadecan-1-ol
- Molecular formula
- C34H72O2
- Molecular weight
- 512.9 g/mol
- Exact mass
- 512.55323154 Da
- Topological polar surface area
- 40.5 Ų
- Hydrogen-bond donors
- 2
- Hydrogen-bond acceptors
- 2
- Covalent units
- 2
- Defined stereocentres
- 0
Also known as
2 more reported names
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 CETEARYL ALCOHOL
INCI name
CETEARYL ALCOHOL
Ph. Eur. name
alcohol cetylicus et stearylicus
Description
Alcohols, C16-18
Record provenance
- Inventory reference
- 75132
- Imported identity
- CETEARYL ALCOHOL
- Source update
- 15/10/2010
Annex records for CETEARYL ALCOHOL
Key data
- EMULSION STABILISING
- Helping the process of emulsification and improving emulsion stability and shelf-life.
- 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.
Related inventory evidence
Ingredients with overlapping formulation functions
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
How CETEARYL ALCOHOL appears in the CosIng inventory
The CosIng inventory lists CETEARYL 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.
CETEARYL ALCOHOL is also tagged with 7 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
Source note for CETEARYL ALCOHOL
This page reproduces the CosIng inventory entry for CETEARYL 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 CETEARYL ALCOHOL and compare linked records, but verify restrictions and legal status against the current official source text and law before making regulatory decisions.
Tools & next steps
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