Cetearyl Alcohol: Does the 'Alcohol' in Your Cream Really Dry Skin?
Arin Editorial · how this is made
If you see 'cetearyl alcohol' on a cream label and put it down thinking it is alcohol, wait a moment. This is not the drying ethyl alcohol; it is a fatty type of alcohol that gives creams their consistency. Most lotions and moisturizers contain it.
What does fatty alcohol mean?
Cetearyl alcohol is a blend of cetyl alcohol (16 carbons) and stearyl alcohol (18 carbons). It is made from vegetable oils, especially palm and coconut oil. At room temperature it is a white, waxy solid. Despite the word 'alcohol', it does not dry the skin; it acts more like a softening oil.
What does it do in a cream?
It keeps an emulsion, a mixture of water and oil, from separating. That is why the cream does not split into layers. It also thickens the product, helps lip color stay on the skin, and stabilizes foam.
What do authorities say?
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) panel has said cetearyl alcohol is safe for cosmetics for nearly 30 years and reaffirmed that in 2005. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) accepts fatty alcohols of this group as both cosmetic and food additives. EPA's compiled toxicity records on skin irritation are conflicting: some show no significant irritation while others place it in an irritation category. No significant eye irritation was found, and the sensitization risk was considered low.
A small note
A small percentage of people may develop contact allergy to emulsifier ingredients like cetearyl alcohol. It does not happen to everyone; if redness or itching appears, stopping the product is enough.
CIR finds cetearyl alcohol safe in cosmetics, and FDA accepts fatty alcohols of this group for use as cosmetic and food additives.
Do not worry when you see it on a label; it is not going to dry out your skin. If the product causes redness or itching after use, stop using it. Otherwise, this ingredient helps keep creams stable and effective.
Sources
- EPA ToxValDB