STEARYL ALCOHOL (Stearyl alcohol) – function in cosmetics

A fatty alcohol that thickens and softens creams.

What it is

Stearyl alcohol is a waxy fatty alcohol obtained from vegetable oils or made synthetically. It gives body to emulsions, helps stabilise them and acts as an emollient.

Where it is used

Found in creams, lotions, conditioners and some make-up.

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.

Fatty alcohols are a different group from drying ethanol listed as alcohol or alcohol denat.

Functions

Skin conditioning – emollient

Acting as lubricants on the skin surface providing the skin with a soft and smooth appearance.

Surfactant – emulsifying

Helping suspensions or dispersions of liquids in a second liquid by reducing the surface tension of the substances to be emulsified.

Emulsion stabilising

Helping the process of emulsification and improving emulsion stability and shelf-life.

Surfactant – foam boosting

Increasing foaming capacity and/or stabilize foams in general.

Fragrance

Imparting an odour or taste. Creating a perceivable pleasant smell and/or masking a bad smell.

Opacifying

Reducing transparency or translucency of cosmetics.

Refatting

Replenishing the lipids of the hair or of the top layers of the skin.

Surfactant – cleansing

Wetting body surfaces, emulsifying or solubilizing oils, and suspending soil (generally, such ingredients contribute to the foaming and lathering properties of cleansing products).

Viscosity controlling

Increasing or decreasing the viscosity (thickness) of cosmetics.

STEARYL ALCOHOL

What it is

Where it is used

Limits of interpretation

Functions

EU regulation

Products with this ingredient (655)