The role of cetearyl alcohol in hand cream

Don't confuse cetearyl alcohol with rubbing alcohol or ethyl alcohol, liquids found in hand creams and other skin care products that can dry out the skin. Cetearyl alcohol is a white, waxy substance that provides a creamy texture and is often used in hand creams to make skin feel smoother. It can also help blend the ingredients in the lotion into a stable mixture.

Cetearyl alcohol

Application:

(1)Emollient
Cetearyl alcohol was first used as an emollient in hand creams. Emollients directly moisturize the skin, making the hand cream smoother and easier to apply.

(2)Penetration Enhancer
Cetearyl alcohol helps other ingredients in the lotion penetrate the skin more easily. Therefore, it is sometimes called a "carrier" or penetration enhancer for other ingredients.

(3)Emulsifier
Cetearyl alcohol also acts as an emulsifier in hand creams. Emulsifiers allow the various ingredients in an emulsion, such as water and oil, to mix together evenly and stably. Oils are generally incompatible (or "non-mixable") with water. Their chemical properties resist mixing with and separating from water, and they cannot be mixed together unless they are emulsified. Cetearyl alcohol prevents the separation of water and oil in hand cream by emulsifying it. Emulsifiers also help distribute ingredients evenly in a lotion, making it thicker and easier to spread.

Characteristic:
Fatty alcohols like cetearyl alcohol occur in small amounts in plants and animals. Cetearyl alcohol is actually a combination of two other fatty alcohols in coconut and palm oil - cetyl alcohol and steryl alcohol. Cetearyl alcohol can also be synthesized artificially. Cetearyl alcohol is usually shipped to cosmetic manufacturers in large bags of granules or soft waxy crystals. Hand creams and other personal care products labeled "alcohol-free" usually mean be free of ethyl alcohol, but they often contain cetearyl alcohol or other fatty alcohols. (fatty alcohols).

Security and permissions:
The Cosmetic Ingredients Review Expert Panel (composed of experts in dermatology, toxicology, pharmacology and other medical fields) has analyzed and evaluated scientific data and concluded that cetearyl alcohol is safe for use in cosmetics.