Is CETETH-12 safe to use in EU cosmetics?

CETETH-12 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 CETETH-12 serve in cosmetics?

According to the EU CosIng inventory, CETETH-12 carries the following function designation(s): SURFACTANT - CLEANSING, SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING.

How do I check if my formula contains CETETH-12?

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 7514515/10/2010

CETETH-12

3,6,9,12,15,18,21,24,27,30,33,36-dodecaoxapentacontan-1-ol

CETETH-12 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 9004-95-9

CAS 9004-95-9PubChem CID 2724259

Polyethylene Glycol Cetyl Ether

The CIR Expert Panel concluded that the alkyl PEG ethers, listed below, are safe in the present practices of use and concentration described in this safety assessment when formulated to be nonirritating. This assessment is also intended to address future alkyl PEG ether cosmetic ingredients that vary from those ingredients recited herein only by the number of ethylene glycol repeat units...Ceteth-12... — Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR)

IUPAC name: 2-[2-[2-[2-[2-[2-[2-[2-[2-[2-[2-[2-[2-[2-[2-[2-[2-[2-[2-(2-hexadecoxyethoxy)ethoxy]ethoxy]ethoxy]ethoxy]ethoxy]ethoxy]ethoxy]ethoxy]ethoxy]ethoxy]ethoxy]ethoxy]ethoxy]ethoxy]ethoxy]ethoxy]ethoxy]ethoxy]ethanol

Molecular formula: C56H114O21
Molecular weight: 1123.5 g/mol
Exact mass: 1122.78526064 Da
XLogP3: 4.5
Topological polar surface area: 205.0 Å²
Hydrogen-bond donors: 1
Hydrogen-bond acceptors: 21
Covalent units: 1
Defined stereocentres: 0

Also known as

CetocireCETOMACROGOLRomopal OCollone ACLubrol WNikkol BCEthosperse CL20Lipocol C2

16 more reported names

Ceteth 2Emulgen 210Nikkol BC 15TXNikkol BC 20TXNikkol BC 30Nikkol BC 40Emalex 105Emalex 110Emalex 115Emalex 120Emulgen 2200Nonion P 208Nonion P 210Cetyl alcohol ethoxylateNissan nonion P 208Nissan nonion P 210

Open full PubChem record PubChem annotations 3D structure image

External database identifiers

ChEMBL:CHEMBL2355804

Retrieved from NIH PubChem on 2026-09-02 by checksum-valid CAS matching. Chemical properties do not replace the regulatory decision on this page.

PubChem 2D chemical structure for CAS 94159-75-8

CAS 94159-75-8PubChem CID 14973993

3,6,9,12,15,18,21,24,27,30,33,36-Dodecaoxapentacontan-1-ol

IUPAC name: 2-[2-[2-[2-[2-[2-[2-[2-[2-[2-[2-(2-tetradecoxyethoxy)ethoxy]ethoxy]ethoxy]ethoxy]ethoxy]ethoxy]ethoxy]ethoxy]ethoxy]ethoxy]ethanol

Molecular formula: C38H78O13
Molecular weight: 743.0 g/mol
Exact mass: 742.54424254 Da
XLogP3: 4.6
Topological polar surface area: 131.0 Å²
Hydrogen-bond donors: 1
Hydrogen-bond acceptors: 13
Covalent units: 1
Defined stereocentres: 0

Also known as

RefChem:91668CAYQUDJGOSZBKU-UHFFFAOYSA-N

Open full PubChem record PubChem annotations 3D structure image

External database identifiers

EPA DTXSID:DTXSID20240885

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 CETETH-12

INCI name

CETETH-12

Description

3,6,9,12,15,18,21,24,27,30,33,36-dodecaoxapentacontan-1-ol

Record provenance

Inventory reference: 75145
Imported identity: CETETH-12
Source update: 15/10/2010

European Commission CosIng source notes

Annex records for CETETH-12

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Key data

CAS

9004-95-9 / 94159-75-8

500-014-1 / 303-255-9

Restriction

—

Function

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.

Official EU ingredient-name evidence

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

#5903 · CETETH-12

Ingredients with overlapping formulation functions

CETEARYL WHEAT BRAN GLYCOSIDESSURFACTANT - CLEANSING, SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING

CETEARYL WHEAT STRAW GLYCOSIDESSURFACTANT - CLEANSING, SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING

CETETH-1SURFACTANT - CLEANSING, SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING

CETETH-10SURFACTANT - CLEANSING, SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING

CETETH-13SURFACTANT - CLEANSING, SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING

CETETH-14SURFACTANT - CLEANSING, SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING

CETETH-15SURFACTANT - CLEANSING, SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING

CETETH-16SURFACTANT - CLEANSING, SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING

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 CETETH-12 appears in the CosIng inventory

The CosIng inventory lists CETETH-12 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.

CETETH-12 is also tagged with 2 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

CETETH-12 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, CETETH-12 carries the following function designation(s):

CAS 9004-95-9 / 94159-75-8 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.

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 CETETH-12

This page reproduces the CosIng inventory entry for CETETH-12 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 CETETH-12 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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