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Cetearyl Alcohol

Cetearyl Alcohol · CetearylalcoholBarrier

Fatty alcohol blend (cetyl + stearyl). Acts as a thickener and emollient — not the drying alcohol you might assume.

What it does

Cetearyl alcohol is a blend of the long-chain fatty alcohols cetyl and stearyl. Despite the 'alcohol' label, it's a wax-like solid that thickens lotions, stabilizes emulsions, and adds a soft skin feel. It's the opposite of denatured alcohol — those are short-chain and drying; cetearyl is long-chain and emollient. One of the most common ingredients in mid-tier moisturizers.

Pairs worth knowing

This page is public and indexed on purpose (unlike profiles and drops, which are unlisted) — it’s the citation behind shared ingredient cards, and it should be findable.
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