Is Stearyl Alcohol safe in cosmetics?
Stearyl Alcohol has a safety rating of "GOOD" in our database. EU status: restricted. US status: permitted.
Stearyl Alcohol
INCI: STEARYL ALCOHOL
Stearyl Alcohol (CAS 36653-82-4) is a cosmetic emollient functioning as Emollient, emulsion stabilizer. EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: restricted. Industrial safety data is also available in the chemical safety database. Same-CAS public records also appear in pharmaceutical data.
View industrial chemical safety profile for CAS 36653-82-4 →
Function
Emollient, emulsion stabilizer
Editorial assessment
GOOD
Preliminary editorial note — not a computed safety verdict.
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
restricted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
Permitted under Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Stearyl Alcohol.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
Dermal Penetration Profile
Skin absorption and penetration characteristics of Stearyl Alcohol, relevant to systemic exposure and MoS calculations.
Absorption %
0.1-0.5%
Penetration Level
surface
Penetration Depth
surface only
Molecular Weight
270.5 Da
Log P
8.0
Systemic Absorption
no
Topical Bioavailability
0.05%
Safety Margin Factor
minimal
Source: CIR Expert Panel
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Deodorizer
Emulsifier
Flavouring and nutrient
Foamant
Fragrance
Lubricating agent
No specific technical function
Opacifer
Plasticizer
Softener and conditioner
Editorial summary
Preliminary editorial summary for Stearyl Alcohol — not a computed safety verdict. See the sourced toxicological data above.
Regulatory Flags
EU Restricted
eu_children_restricted
ifra_fragrance
fda_food_additive
Chemical Function
Thickening agent
Surfactant (surface active agent)
Softener and conditioner
Deodorizer
Emulsifier
Viscosity modifier
Opacifer
Foamant
Solvent
Regulatory Lists
inert_ingredient
non_food_use
Pesticides
IFRA Transparency
consumer_product
air
detected
emissions
Europe
Vehicle - car interior
detected
Europe
Vehicle - car interior
inert_ingredient
Pesticides
children
Europe
Personal care
Australian Status
AICIS status: listed
Cross-Vertical Safety Context
Same-CAS public records found in pharmaceutical data.
SOURCE
ChEMBL / DrugCentral / FAERS
DB_PHARMA CAS match
Pharmaceutical Data
Same-CAS rows from the pharmaceutical spoke database.
Compound
CETYL ALCOHOL
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL706
Max Phase
4
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Stearyl Alcohol allowed in the EU?
Stearyl Alcohol EU regulatory status: restricted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Stearyl Alcohol do in cosmetics?
Stearyl Alcohol functions as: Emollient, emulsion stabilizer. It is classified as a Emollient in our database. CAS number: 36653-82-4.
Is Stearyl Alcohol used outside cosmetics?
Stearyl Alcohol also appears in pharmaceutical data. The cross-vertical cards on this page render same-CAS public rows from the matched databases.
Compliance Tools
Check Stearyl Alcohol compliance across multiple jurisdictions:
Ingredient Decoder
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82 Allergen Checker
Check for EU declarable fragrance allergens
Substance Compliance
Check compliance across multiple jurisdictions
MoS Calculator
Calculate Margin of Safety using SCCS methodology
Heavy Metal Limits
Compare limits across jurisdictions
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