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Cetearyl Alcohol
Cetearyl Alcohol · CetearylalcoholBarrier
Fatty alcohol blend (cetyl + stearyl). Acts as a thickener and emollient — not the drying alcohol you might assume.
What it does
Cetearyl alcohol is a blend of the long-chain fatty alcohols cetyl and stearyl. Despite the 'alcohol' label, it's a wax-like solid that thickens lotions, stabilizes emulsions, and adds a soft skin feel. It's the opposite of denatured alcohol — those are short-chain and drying; cetearyl is long-chain and emollient. One of the most common ingredients in mid-tier moisturizers.
Pairs worth knowing
Browse all 668 ingredients — grouped by what they do, each with whatever evidence we can cite.
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