Cetyl alcohol

INIC NAME: Cetyl Alcohol

DESCRIPTION:

Cetyl alcohol, also known as hexadecanol, is a fatty alcohol commonly used in cosmetic and pharmaceutical products. It is derived from natural sources such as coconut or palm oil. Cetyl alcohol acts as an emollient, emulsifier, thickener, and carrying agent in various formulations. 

Cetyl alcohol is a waxy-like solid added to lotions and creams to help stabilize and bind their ingredients together “to prevent them from separating into an oil or liquid.

The alcohols typically used in skin care can be categorized into three different kinds: simple, fatty, and aromatic. Simple alcohols, such as isopropyl (aka rubbing alcohol), ethanol, or methanol, are what we’re used to irritating and drying out our complexions while having a strong, nasal hair-burning scent. They are typically added to skin-care products as a “degreasing agent used after cleansing the skin and prior to applying a chemical peel for best absorption, Fatty alcohols, like cetyl alcohol, do just the opposite. (More on that soon.) Typically, they are derived from vegetable oils, particularly palm and coconut.

How Cetyl alcohol Is Made

Cetyl alcohol is manufactured by reducing ethyl palmitate with metallic sodium and alcohol or by using lithium aluminum hydride as a catalyst under acidic conditions.

PROPERTIES:

• Prevents separation of products: cetyl alcohol is predominantly used in products to stabilize them so that when you apply the formulas to your skin or hair, they don’t separate and they apply cosmetically well.

• Encourages even application: By keeping the product from separating, it may help with the application of a product and as a result, the overall effectiveness of it.

• Thickens formulas:  it’s used as a thickening agent in products to enhance the texture and feel.

• Softens the skin: Though this is not the primary reason for including cetyl alcohol in a product, because it has a fatty component to it and is derived from oils, it does have an emollient property and may soften and smooth the skin.
• Help protect hairs’ cuticles and helps them lie flat to prevent dryness and frizz. Also helps to
  treat or prevent dry, rough, scaly, itchy skin and minor skin irritations.

Usage rate:1-30%

Applications: Creams, lotions, scrubs, conditioners, make up products and more.