What Is Cetearyl Alcohol?
The FDA says cosmetic products, including those labeled alcohol free, may contain other alcohols such as cetyl, stearyl, cetearyl or lanolin alcohol, which are known as fatty alcohols, and that their effects on the skin are quite different from those of ethyl alcohol. It says that in cosmetic labeling, the term alcohol used by itself refers to ethyl alcohol.
A 1988 Cosmetic Ingredient Review report says long-chain aliphatic alcohols are widely used in skin lotions and creams, where they serve as emollients, emulsion stabilizers, viscosity control agents, coupling agents and foam stabilizers. The panel concluded that cetearyl, cetyl, isostearyl, myristyl and behenyl alcohols are safe as cosmetic ingredients in the present practices of use, and the report says that in a human skin sensitization study of a cream containing 3.0% cetearyl alcohol, none of the subjects had positive reactions.
Sources checked September 15, 2026. Every point below links the page it came from.
The sources behind this answer
- Government sourceThe FDA says products labeled alcohol free may contain fatty alcohols such as cetearyl alcohol, whose effects on skin are quite different from ethyl alcohol. US FDA ↗
- Government sourceThe FDA says that in cosmetic labeling, the word alcohol used by itself refers to ethyl alcohol. US FDA ↗
- Medical referenceA Cosmetic Ingredient Review report says long-chain fatty alcohols in lotions serve as emollients, emulsion stabilizers and viscosity control agents. Cosmetic Ingredient Review ↗
- Medical referenceThe Cosmetic Ingredient Review panel concluded in 1988 that cetearyl, cetyl, isostearyl, myristyl and behenyl alcohols are safe as cosmetic ingredients in present practices of use. Cosmetic Ingredient Review ↗
- StudyThe Cosmetic Ingredient Review report says no subjects had positive reactions in a human skin sensitization study of a cream with 3.0 percent cetearyl alcohol. Cosmetic Ingredient Review ↗
Sources checked September 15, 2026. A brand statement is the company’s own claim, which we report but have not verified. Our grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests.