Cetyl Alcohol.

What it does

Unlike the small, volatile solvent alcohols such as alcohol denat./SD alcohol or isopropyl alcohol that flash off and can dry the skin, cetyl alcohol is large, non-volatile and emollient: it softens and smooths skin, helps stabilise oil-and-water emulsions, and thickens products to give creams and conditioners their rich body and opaque look.

Benefits

• Non-drying, emollient fatty alcohol that leaves skin and hair feeling soft and smooth
• Stabilises emulsions, helping oil and water stay blended
• Thickens and adds body/richness to creams, lotions and conditioners; also acts as an opacifier
• Well tolerated and widely used; the clear contrast to drying solvent alcohols

Side effects

• Low irritancy and generally very well tolerated
• Rare contact allergy has been reported, sometimes attributed to impurities rather than cetyl alcohol itself — and it is even used in some eczema treatments
• Low-to-moderate comedogenicity rating, so very acne-prone skin may prefer to monitor heavy formulas

Who it's for