The ones people ask about
Cetyl Alcohol
Cetyl alcohol is a waxy fatty alcohol, usually made from coconut or palm oil. Despite the word “alcohol”, it is nothing like the drying ethanol in some toners.
- On a list as
- Cetyl Alcohol · Stearyl Alcohol
- What it does
- Fatty alcohol: softens and thickens
- Where it comes from
- Usually coconut or palm oil
- Vegan?
- Depends on the source
Why it’s in a formula
It softens skin, thickens a cream and keeps its oil and water from separating.
- It was once taken from whale oil; today it is made from plant oils or synthetically. A list doesn't name the source.
Where you’ll find it at Divina
Read from each piece’s published ingredient list. 5 pieces.
L'Éclat
Lip Gloss
$44
Listed as Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol
Not vegan: lanolin and beeswax, and some shades may contain carmine
Questions
Is cetyl alcohol bad for skin?
No. It is a fatty alcohol that softens and moisturises. The alcohols to be wary of on dry or sensitive skin are the drying ones, such as “alcohol denat.”
Is cetyl alcohol vegan?
Almost always today, since it is made from plant oils, but a list won't confirm the source.
How we know: every ingredient list on this site is the manufacturer’s own, read piece by piece and shade by shade, and the pieces above are worked out from those lists each time the site is built. Ingredient names and functions follow the EU’s CosIng database. This page describes cosmetic ingredients; it isn’t medical advice.
From the journal
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