Also known as: 1-Cetanol, 1-Hydroxyhexadecane, Lorol 24, Hexadecyl alcohol, C16 alcohol (+15 more)
INCI: CETYL ALCOHOL
Cetyl Alcohol (CAS 36653-82-4) is a cosmetic emollient functioning as emollient, emulsion stabilizer. Reported NOAEL =1822 mg/kg bw/day in Rat (ECHA); EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: permitted; 1 safety opinion reviewed (CIR Safety Assessment). Industrial safety data is also available in the chemical safety database. Same-CAS public records also appear in industrial chemical safety, pharmaceutical, and food safety data.
US NotesCosmetic ingredient. Non-irritating emollient/emulsifier. NRS guidance explicitly notes cetyl and cetearyl alcohols are non-irritating fatty alcohols and should not be confused with SD alcohol/denatured alcohol. Appropriate for rosacea formulations including cream cleansers.
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Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Cetyl Alcohol.
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Toxicological Studies
2 study endpoints found for Cetyl Alcohol. NOAEL (No Observed Adverse Effect Level) values are used to calculate the Margin of Safety per SCCS methodology.
Endpoint
Value
Route
Species
Study Type
Source
NOAEL
=1822 mg/kg bw/day
oral
Rat
reproduction developmental
ECHA
NOAEL
=4567 mg/kg bw/day
oral
Rat
reproduction developmental
ECHA
Safety Opinions
Official safety assessments from the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) and Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR).
CIR Safety AssessmentNumber 3, 1988
Verdict: unknown
Sensitization Profile
Contact sensitization data for Cetyl Alcohol based on clinical patch test studies and IFRA standards.
Sensitization Rate
low
Allergen Class
botanical
EU Allergen Listed
no
Patch Test Positive Rate
0.3%
Cross-reactivity Group
cetyl-group
Reaction Type
contact-dermatitis
Source: IVDK; ESSCA; NACDG
Dermal Penetration Profile
Skin absorption and penetration characteristics of Cetyl Alcohol, relevant to systemic exposure and MoS calculations.
Absorption %
0.1-0.5%
Penetration Level
surface
Penetration Depth
surface only
Molecular Weight
242.4 Da
Log P
7.4
Systemic Absorption
no
Topical Bioavailability
0.05%
Safety Margin Factor
minimal
Source: CIR Expert Panel
EPA ToxValDB — Toxicity Values
10 toxicity values from EPA ToxValDB (aggregated from CCTE, HPV, ToxRefDB, IRIS, and other regulatory dossiers).
Endpoint
Value
Species
Route
Duration
Source
NOAEL
>1000 mg/kg-day
Rat
oral
short-term
ECHA
NOAEL
>=1198 mg/kg-day
Dog
oral
subchronic
ECHA
NOAEL
>=1053 mg/kg-day
Dog
oral
subchronic
ECHA
NOAEL
=4567 mg/kg-day
Rat
oral
-
ECHA
LD50
>7960 mg/kg
Rat
oral
-
ECHA
NOAEL
>1000 mg/kg-day
Rat
oral
short-term
ECHA
NOAEL
=1822 mg/kg-day
Rat
oral
-
ECHA
NOAEL
=4567 mg/kg-day
Rat
oral
-
ECHA
NOAEL
>1000 mg/kg-day
Rat
oral
short-term
ECHA
NOAEL
=4567 mg/kg-day
Rat
oral
-
ECHA
HRIPT Human Patch Test Studies
1 human repeat insult patch test aggregated from dermatological literature.
Test Type
N
Sensitized
Dose µg/cm²
NESIL µg/cm²
Potency
HMT
-
0
8100
-
-
ECHA REACH Registration
European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.
Registration Type
Full
Tonnage Band
100,000 - 1,000,000 tonnes
Substance Type
SUBSTANCE
SVHC Candidate
No
Typical Use Concentrations
Reported concentration ranges per product category from SCCS/CIR/industry sources.
Product Category
Typical Range
Max Reported
Source
Face Cream
1–4
10
CIR Safety Assessment
Body Lotion
1–4
10
CIR Safety Assessment
Conditioner
2–5
10
CIR Safety Assessment
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
DeodorizerEmulsifierFlavouring and nutrientFoamantFragranceLubricating agentNo specific technical functionOpaciferPlasticizerSoftener and conditioner
Regulatory List Membership (5)
EU Regulated in Personal CareEU Restricted for Children (Cosmetics)IFRA Fragrance Transparency ListFDA Substances Added to Food (EAFUS)Consumer Product Chemical
Editorial summary
Preliminary editorial summary for Cetyl Alcohol — not a computed safety verdict. See the sourced toxicological data above.
Thickening agentSurfactant (surface active agent)Softener and conditionerDeodorizerEmulsifierViscosity modifierOpaciferFoamantSolvent
Regulatory Lists
inert_ingredient; non_food_use; PesticidesIFRA Transparencyconsumer_productair; detected; emissions; Europe; Vehicle - car interiordetected; Europe; Vehicle - car interiorinert_ingredient; Pesticideschildren; Europe; Personal carechildren; Europe; Personal carechildren; Europe; Personal care - general moisturizing - hand/body lotionchildren; Europe; Personal careCleaning products and household care; EuropeEurope; Personal care - hair styling and care - shampoo-dandruffEurope; Personal care - hair styling and care - shampoo-dandruffEurope; Personal careEurope; Personal careEurope; Personal carefood_additive; Substances Added to Food (formerly EAFUS) (2/2019)Canada; pharmaceutical
Australian Status
AICIS status:listed
Cross-Vertical Safety Context
Same-CAS public records found in pharmaceutical and food safety data.
SOURCEChEMBL / DrugCentral / FAERSDB_PHARMA CAS match
Pharmaceutical Data
Same-CAS rows from the pharmaceutical spoke database.
Cetyl Alcohol has a safety rating of "EXCELLENT" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted. 2 toxicological study endpoint(s) are available in our database. This ingredient has been reviewed by CIR Safety Assessment.
Is Cetyl Alcohol allowed in the EU?
Cetyl Alcohol EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Cetyl Alcohol do in cosmetics?
Cetyl Alcohol functions as: emollient, emulsion stabilizer. It is classified as a Emollient in our database. CAS number: 36653-82-4.
What is the NOAEL for Cetyl Alcohol?
The NOAEL (No Observed Adverse Effect Level) for Cetyl Alcohol is =1822 mg/kg bw/day based on a reproduction developmental study via oral route in Rat. A total of 2 study endpoints are available. Source: ECHA.
Is Cetyl Alcohol used outside cosmetics?
Cetyl Alcohol also appears in industrial chemical safety, pharmaceutical, and food safety data. The cross-vertical cards on this page render same-CAS public rows from the matched databases.
Compliance Tools
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