“Cetearyl Alcohol?”Here!a fatty alcohol blend
Appears in 1 scanned product.
In personal care
A waxy, solid mixture of cetyl and stearyl alcohol, both fatty alcohols derived from plant oils or made synthetically. Despite the name, it behaves nothing like drinking alcohol and is not drying.
Why it’s used
Used as a thickener and emulsion stabilizer, and it also softens skin and improves the texture and glide of creams and conditioners.
What the evidence says
Long history of safe use, reviewed by CIR with no significant concerns identified at the levels used in cosmetics. It is a rare but recognized cause of contact allergy in a small subset of people, more often via product residues than the ingredient itself.
Context
Common in both leave-on and rinse-off products at low concentrations; the allergy risk, while real, is uncommon relative to its widespread use.
Rumors
Alcohols in skincare are drying.
Not gradedhealth and sourcing evidence
No quoted sentence behind this yet.
A claim about alcohols in skincare as a group, not this substance alone.
What was measured is not yet noted.
- Safety evaluation of topical applications of ethanol on the skin and inside the oral cavity (Peer-reviewed) · Funded by Chemisches und Veterinäruntersuchungsamt (CVUA) Karlsruhe (author's employer) · No conflicts declared
- The Impact of Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizers on Skin Barrier Function (Journalism) · Funding not checked
Who’s saying this
- Tree To Tub — a brand: sells soapberry-based skincare for sensitive skin
How we know who this is
- “Thanks to everyone who supported us and made Tree To Tub a reality!” (their page)
- “It deserves Soapberry-powered skincare made to cleanse, comfort, and care for skin that’s done with harsh formulas.” (their page)