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Cetyl Alcohol

Cetyl Alcohol
✨ Emollient ↗🔗 Emulsifier ↗🫙 Thickener ↗

A fatty alcohol (not drying). Softens skin as an emollient, stabilises the formula as an emulsifier, and gives the cream its body as a thickener.

🛡️
Safety: Safe. Rarely causes sensitivity in very reactive skin.
🧴
Comedogenic rating(likelihood of clogging pores)
1/5 — Very low likelihood
✓ Does not disqualify fragrance-free, alcohol-free, SLS-free or paraben-free claims
Common names & aliases
1-HexadecanolHexadecan-1-ol
Functions
✨ Emollient
Softens and smooths skin by filling microscopic gaps between skin cells.
🔗 Emulsifier
Keeps oil and water phases mixed together in a stable formula.
🫙 Thickener
Adjusts the viscosity and texture of the formula.
Similar ingredientsSame function — click a category above to see full A–Z list
Petrolatum
Vaseline
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
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Carbomer
Carbopol
Xanthan Gum
Urea
Carbamide
Squalane
Dicaprylyl Ether
Dioctyl Ether
Glyceryl Stearate
Glycerol Monostearate
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