Is Cetyl Ethylhexanoate safe in cosmetics?
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate has a safety rating of "EXCELLENT" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted.
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
INCI: CETYL ETHYLHEXANOATE
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate (CAS 59130-69-7) is a cosmetic emollient functioning as Lightweight, dry-touch ester emollient functioning as skin-conditioning agent. EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: permitted. Industrial safety data is also available in the chemical safety database. Same-CAS public records also appear in industrial chemical safety data.
View industrial chemical safety profile for CAS 59130-69-7 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Function
Lightweight, dry-touch ester emollient functioning as skin-conditioning agent and texture modifier. Superior sensory profile for SPF and color cosmetics. Low comedogenicity. Does not function as a penetration enhancer at standard use levels.
Safety Rating
EXCELLENT
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
hexadecyl 2-ethylhexanoate
InChIKey
XJNUECKWDBNFJV-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
Low comedogenicity rating in rabbit ear assay. Widely used in sunscreen and color cosmetic formulations for its dry-touch, non-greasy sensory profile. Good compatibility with UV filters.
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Cetyl Ethylhexanoate.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
Dermal Penetration Profile
Skin absorption and penetration characteristics of Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, relevant to systemic exposure and MoS calculations.
Absorption %
2-6%
Penetration Level
stratum-corneum
Penetration Depth
stratum corneum
Molecular Weight
368.6 Da
Log P
9.8
Systemic Absorption
minimal
Topical Bioavailability
1-4%
Safety Margin Factor
low
Vehicle Dependent
Yes — absorption varies by formulation
Source: CIR
ECHA REACH Registration
European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.
Registration Type
Full
Tonnage Band
1,000 - 10,000 tonnes
Substance Type
SUBSTANCE
SVHC Candidate
No
Additional Ingredient Properties
4 property records from structured ingredient metadata.
dermal_absorption
{"molecular_weight_da": "368.6", "log_p_value": "9.8", "skin_penetration_level": "stratum-corneum", "penetration_depth": "stratum corneum", "absorption_pct": "2-6", "systemic_absorption": "minimal", "penetration_enhancer": "no", "occlusion_effect": "yes", "vehicle_dependent": "yes", "skin_barrier_effect": "neutral", "bioavailability_topical_pct": "1-4", "safety_margin_factor": "low", "source": "CI…
emulsion_hlb
{"hlb_required_as_emulsifier": "no", "hlb_required_of_oil_phase": "10-11", "co_emulsifier_pairs": "polysorbate_60,ceteth_20", "optimal_oil_phase_pct": "10-30", "optimal_water_phase_pct": "70-90", "droplet_size_range_um": "1-20", "creaming_resistance": "good", "coalescence_resistance": "good", "ostwald_ripening_resistance": "moderate", "freeze_thaw_stability": "moderate", "rheology_modifier_type": …
self_tanning
{"cas_number": "59130-69-7", "ingredient_class": "other", "tanning_mechanism": "other", "color_development_onset_hours": "0.0", "full_color_development_hours": "0", "color_duration_days": "0", "DHA_concentration_if_applicable_pct": "0", "erythrulose_concentration_pct": "0", "pH_dependent_color": "no", "formaldehyde_release_concern": "no", "formaldehyde_release_ppm": "0", "AGE_formation_concern": "…
sensory
{"silky": "light", "smooth, glides easily": "light, silky", "dry-touch, non-greasy": "dry, soft", "instant": "fast", "low": "low", "w/o": "o/w", "very-high": "excellent", "no": "no", "yes": "no", "1.40": "1.44", "transparent": "transparent", "colorless": "colorless", "excellent": "excellent", "light": "light", "synthetic": "synthetic"}
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Softener and conditioner
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Cetyl Ethylhexanoate.
Chemical Function
Softener and conditioner
Regulatory Lists
Canada; pharmaceutical
Australian Status
AICIS status: listed
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cetyl Ethylhexanoate allowed in the EU?
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Cetyl Ethylhexanoate do in cosmetics?
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate functions as: Lightweight, dry-touch ester emollient functioning as skin-conditioning agent and texture modifier. Superior sensory profile for SPF and color cosmetics. Low comedogenicity. Does not function as a penetration enhancer at standard use levels.. It is classified as a Emollient in our database. CAS number: 59130-69-7.
Is Cetyl Ethylhexanoate used outside cosmetics?
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate also appears in industrial chemical safety data. The cross-vertical cards on this page render same-CAS public rows from the matched databases.
Compliance Tools
Check Cetyl Ethylhexanoate compliance across multiple jurisdictions:
Ingredient Decoder
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Substance Compliance
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MoS Calculator
Calculate Margin of Safety using SCCS methodology
Heavy Metal Limits
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