For skin
- Skin Conditioning - EmollientHelps leave skin feeling softer and smoother.
- Surfactant - CleansingHelps lift or remove soil and excess oil during washing. Mildness depends on the whole cleansing system.
A fatty alcohol used to influence formula texture and skin feel.
Explore the recorded roles of CETYL ALCOHOL and what they can mean in a cosmetic formula.
The panels below interpret this ingredient’s recorded functions. They describe possible contributions, not proven clinical results. Any individually reviewed study is shown separately.
Examples associated with the recorded function classes; these are not verified product listings or instructions to apply the raw ingredient.
Ingredient form, concentration, pH, delivery system and contact time can change the result. A skin finding does not establish a hair benefit; a conditioning or fibre result does not establish hair growth.
CosIng record · function source ↗CAS and EC identifiers are source references. A botanical extract, polymer or mixture may have more than one identifier; a name does not establish purity, supplier grade or sourcing.
Matched through one source CAS and a confirmed ingredient name or source alias. These facts describe the matched PubChem record; they do not describe particle form, supplier grade or finished-product performance.
Helps improve the soft, smooth feel of skin.
Helps bring and keep phases such as oil and water together in a dispersed formula.
Helps an emulsion maintain its dispersed structure over time.
Helps increase or maintain foam produced by the cleansing system.
Contributes scent to a product. Fragrance character depends on the ingredient blend.
Helps make a formula less transparent or gives it a more opaque appearance.
Helps lift and disperse oil and soil so they can be rinsed away. Cleansing strength depends on the blend and use conditions.
Helps adjust how thick or fluid a formula is, influencing its flow and application.
Functions describe possible roles in a formulation. They do not establish the performance of every product containing this ingredient.
Fatty alcohols such as cetyl alcohol are different from ethanol. The word alcohol alone is not a useful identity match.
The finished texture depends on the full oil phase, emulsifier system and ingredient levels.
Applicable Cosmetics Rules and standards need to be checked for the ingredient, product type and use. Ingredient-specific restrictions have not yet been mapped here.
CosIng records do not authorise use. Check the current Cosmetics Regulation and annexes for restrictions and conditions.
FDA guidance has a US scope. Product classification, colour additives and other ingredient conditions require separate checks.
No personalised suitability or allergy assessment is provided. A source function is separate from human efficacy and finished-product testing.
2D structure · PubChem CID 2682 · 2D structure depiction using the PubChem isomeric SMILES record. This does not show particle size, crystal form, supplier grade or raw-material appearance.
Structure rendered for Beaut.in from PubChem data.
Original image / data source ↗
Rendered from the source isomeric SMILES representation. This is not a photograph of the cosmetic raw material. · Reference checked 28 October 2026.
Identity, identifiers and functions. Snapshot checked 28 October 2026. CosIng source reference: 32596.
Beaut.in explains ingredient information in original language. Source inclusion does not constitute endorsement. Source descriptions and annex-table fields are reproduced with credit to the European Union; formatting is normalised. The current record is a dated snapshot, not a live regulatory monitor. Reuse terms: European Commission · CC BY 4.0 ↗.