An ester of stearic acid with cetearyl alcohol, listed as a skin-conditioning and skin-protecting ingredient.
What it is
Cetearyl stearate is the ester of stearic acid with cetearyl alcohol, a mixture of C16 and C18 fatty alcohols; it is a waxy solid. CosIng lists it as a skin-conditioning and skin-protecting ingredient.
Where it is used
Appears on the ingredient lists of a small number of products.
Limits of interpretation
The INCI list shows which ingredients are present, not how much of each. Above 1%, ingredients are listed in descending order of weight; below 1% the order is free.
The INCI name refers to a mixture with a range of alkyl chain lengths, not a single compound.
Functions
- Skin conditioning
- Maintaining the skin in good condition.
- Skin protecting
- Helping to avoid harmful effects to the skin from external factors.
EU regulation
This ingredient is not listed in the annexes of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 in the CosIng data.