Cetyl alcohol can be found in many hair and skincare products. It is either created synthetically, a byproduct of petroleum or derived from a number of different plant sources (most commonly coconut). Cetyl alcohol bares no resemblance to what most think of as alcohol. Unlike isopropyl, ethyl, or “rubbing” alcohol, cetyl alcohol is a “fatty” alcohol, not drying to the skin and has a texture more like wax.
Cetyl alcohol is used in cosmetic preparations for a number of reasons. It is an emulsifier which means it holds together preparations of water and oil, and an emollient which means it leaves skin or hair feeling smooth and soft. It’s wax-like texture thickens formulations, helps them spread smoothly and turns the color opaque. It also creates an occlusive barrier on the skin which holds in water and can keeps natural moisture from escaping the epidermis.
Although most people would agree that cetyl alcohol is not an ingredient that causes harm or irritation to the skin, I would be wary of products that have it listed as one of the first ingredients. Ingredients are listed in order of prevalence, so the farther up the list, the more of it is found in a product. In my opinion, although it is not irritating to skin, it is not particularly beneficial to the health of skin either. It may not hurt, but it doesn’t really help anything either. I should say that found further down the list is fine as it does have some benefits in terms of the actual product such as improving texture, keeping products from separating and improving the ability of a product to spread.
