Moisturizer Ingredients In Skin Care Products
Fatty Alcohols
- Cetyl Alcohol (palmityl alcohol)
- Cetearyl Alcohol (Cetostearyl alcohol)
- Ceteareth–20 (polyethylene glycol ether of Cetearyl Alcohol )
Fatty alcohols are aliphatic alcohols with alcohol group (-OH) attaches to the (saturated) fatty acid chain. Fatty alcohols usually have even number of carbon atoms with alcohol group (-OH) attaches to the terminal carbon. Other processing can yield iso-alcohols—where the alcohol attaches to a carbon in the interior of the carbon chain. Due to their amphipathic nature, fatty alcohols behave as nonionic surfactants. They find use as emulsifiers, emollients and thickeners in cosmetic.
Cetyl alcohol is Fatty alcohol used as an emollient, emulsifier, thickener, and carrying agent for other ingredients. Can be derived naturally, as in coconut fatty alcohol, or synthetically. It is not an irritant and is not related to sd alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
Cetostearyl alcohol, cetearyl alcohol or cetylstearyl alcohol is a mixture of fatty alcohols, consisting predominantly of cetyl and stearyl alcohols and is classified as a fatty alcohol. It is used as an emulsion stabilizer, opacifying agent, and foam boosting surfactant, as well as an aqueous and nonaqueous viscosity-increasing agent. It imparts an emollient feel to the skin and can be used in water-in-oil emulsions, oil-in-water emulsions, and anhydrous formulations cetearyl alcohol is used as an emollient, emulsifier, thickener, and carrying agent for other ingredients. Can be derived naturally, as in coconut fatty alcohol, or synthetically.
The INCI names Ceteareth-n (where n is a number) refer to polyoxyethylene ethers of a mixture of high molecular mass saturated fatty alcohols (mainly cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol). The number n indicates the average number of etyhlene oxide residues in the polyoxyethylene chain. These compounds are non-ionic surfactants , frequently used as emulsifiers in cosmetics.
Ceteareth-2 to -18, and Ceteareth-22, help to form emulsions by reducing the surface tension of the substances to be emulsified. Ceteareth-20 to -40 help other ingredients to dissolve in a solvent in which they would not normally dissolve, and along with Ceteareths-50 to -100, clean the skin and hair by helping water to mix with oil and dirt so that these substances can be rinsed away.
Ceteareth-20 (polyethylene glycol ether of Cetearyl Alcohol ) is used to thicken cosmetics and keep ingredients mixed together and stable.