What are the Cetostearyl Alcohol Uses in Cosmetics?

Winter has arrived, do you feel that your skin is getting drier than before? Do you have any symptoms of redness or dry itching? It is very necessary to choose a suitable moisturizing product at this time. Cetostearyl alcohol is a cheap and effective ingredient. What are the cetostearyl alcohol uses in cosmetics? Come and study with me.

What is Cetostearyl Alcohol?

Cetostearyl alcohol is a substance produced by the combination of two other fatty alcohols in coconut oil and palm oil - cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. A long time ago, people extracted wax from the heads of sperm whales and other toothed whales. When cooled to 0 ℃, the solid part produced was whale wax, which can be used in skincare products, precision instruments, and advanced lubricants for watches and clocks. This led to the rampant hunting and killing of sperm whales by humans, bringing them a catastrophic disaster. It was not until the discovery of jojoba oil, which replaced the role of whale wax in skincare products, that they escaped unscathed. The vast majority of cetostearyl alcohol currently used is produced from coconut oil and palm oil but not from the heads of sperm whales.

Cetostearyl alcohol is a white, flaky solid that is insoluble in water but soluble in ethanol, ether, and other substances. This product is obtained from natural oils through esterification, hydrogenation, and distillation. A mixture of solid fatty alcohols mainly composed of hexadecanol and octadecanol, has the effects of inhibiting greasiness, reducing the viscosity of wax raw materials, and stabilizing cosmetic latex bodies. The common proportions of whale wax stearol are: octadecanol accounts for about 65-80%, and hexadecanol accounts for about 10-35%, generally considered as 70:30. Because the source of raw materials is common tropical plants, the production areas are usually countries such as Thailand, the Philippines, and Malaysia.

Cetostearyl Alcohol Uses in Cosmetics

It is suitable for all kinds of cosmetics, especially for creams and lotions. It is widely used in cosmetics as a co-emulsifier, oil phase thickener, lubricant, etc. In medicine, it can be directly used as an emulsifier cream, as an auxiliary emulsifier, etc. Plain ingredients can also be used as defoamers, water and soil moisturizers, and color couplers. It can also be used as a raw material for producing alcohols, amides, and sulfonated products as detergent products.

Cetostearyl alcohol is a relatively high molecular weight fatty alcohol that looks a bit like sugar in appearance, but its properties are more like wax. It can combine with water very slightly, but the molecule is too large, overall it is still more oleophilic. That is to say, if this ingredient is evenly applied to hair, it is like waxing furniture, and the hair will become more shiny and shiny.

Winter is a season where the skin is prone to dryness and sensitivity, making it prone to redness, dryness, and itching. Then it is necessary to add a face cream with ingredients that can relieve skin discomfort and repair the skin barrier.

Cetostearyl alcohol can moisturize and help other ingredients penetrate the skin better, and can also directly moisturize the skin. This ingredient is non-toxic and non-irritating, and only a very small number of users experience allergic symptoms after use. It can also be used as an emulsifier in hand cream, so that different components in lotion, such as water and oil, can be mixed evenly and stably. Adding it to hair care products can moisturize and make tangled hair easier to comb.

It should be noted that cetostearyl alcohol has a significant “post-thickening” phenomenon, which means that after being left for a period of time after production, the viscosity will increase. The period here is not a few hours, but several days to several tens of days. So when the formula contains cetyl alcohol, whether it is in the emulsifier or added by oneself, it is necessary to test for some time after sampling to better determine the consistency and stability of the product. It is strongly recommended to test the new formula at least one month in advance, preferably three months.

Conclusion

To sum up, we dig into the topic of “cetostearyl alcohol uses in cosmetics.” It can act as an emulsifier, thickener, lubricant, etc. For example, adding it to face cream can help other ingredients absorb better, and can also play a role in moisturizing. It can also be added to hand cream to promote the fusion of ingredients for better application. It is truly a useful and inexpensive ingredient.