General description:
Cetostearyl Alcohol
Chemical Formula: CH3(CH2)nOH
Cetostearyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol that is made up of stearyl alcohols and cetyl alcohol. Cetostearyl alcohol is a substance present in several cosmetic products. It's a waxy white liquid that solidifies at room temperature. Coconut alcohol, soy oil, and palm oil are examples of fatty alcohols derived from both vegetable and animal sources.
Cetostearyl Alcohol is also called "long-chain alcohol" because of its chemical formula. Fatty alcohols have an even number of carbon atoms and a single alcohol group (-OH) connected to the last carbon.
Cetostearyl Alcohol is also called palmityl alcohol and 1-hexadecanol. It is a common component in a range of cosmetics and personal care products.
In cosmetic products, Cetostearyl Alcohol acts as a stabilizer and emulsifier and prevents products from separating. On ingredient labels, Cetostearyl Alcohol is sometimes listed as C16-18 alcohol, Cetearyl alcohol, or cetyl/stearyl alcohol.