Cetyl Esters
The details
Cetyl Esters is an emollient with an interesting backstory: it's a synthetic wax originally designed to be a copy of spermaceti, a waxy material that used to be harvested from whales. This ingredient delivers the same "velvety" feel without anything animal-derived (usually made from coconut or palm -sourced fatty alcohols/acids). Chemically, it's a blend of esters from 14-18 fatty acids and alcohols that is a solid at room temperature but melts on contact with skin. It helps soften and smooth the skin while improving the feel and spread of products. Typical use concentrations range from 1-10% (most commonly 2-5%). The CIR Expert Panel has concluded it's safe as used and has shown no skin irritation in available studies. Because it's a blend of fatty acid esters in the chain-length range that Malassezia can feed on, it may not be fungal acne safe.
Found in (1 products)
Also listed as
cetyl esters