Baby Safety / Compounds / Cetearyl alcohol

Is Cetearyl alcohol safe for babies and kids?

Context-dependent for kids

(Babies-specific data is limited; this page draws from human pregnant context.) Pregnancy alters the metabolism and distribution of Cetearyl alcohol, potentially increasing fetal exposure. The developing embryo/fetus is vulnerable during organogenesis (weeks 3-8) and neurological development. Placental transfer should be assumed.

What is cetearyl alcohol?

The IUPAC name is mixture of cetyl alcohol (C16) and stearyl alcohol (C18).

Also known as: mixture of cetyl alcohol (C16) and stearyl alcohol (C18), cetostearyl alcohol, C16-C18 fatty alcohol, cetearyl alcohol (and) polysorbate 20.

IUPAC name
mixture of cetyl alcohol (C16) and stearyl alcohol (C18)
CAS number
67762-27-0
Molecular formula
C16-C18 mixture
Molecular weight
512.9 g/mol
SMILES
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCO.CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCO
PubChem CID
62238

Risk for babies

Context-dependent

Pregnancy alters the metabolism and distribution of Cetearyl alcohol, potentially increasing fetal exposure. The developing embryo/fetus is vulnerable during organogenesis (weeks 3-8) and neurological development. Placental transfer should be assumed.

No specific reproductive toxicity data identified, but pregnancy-specific safety data is limited for most chemicals. Precautionary minimization of exposure is recommended.

What to do: Minimize exposure during pregnancy and lactation. Consult healthcare provider regarding specific risks. Consider alternative products with lower hazard profiles.

Risk for pregnant and nursing people

Context-dependent

Pregnancy alters the metabolism and distribution of Cetearyl alcohol, potentially increasing fetal exposure. The developing embryo/fetus is vulnerable during organogenesis (weeks 3-8) and neurological development. Placental transfer should be assumed.

No specific reproductive toxicity data identified, but pregnancy-specific safety data is limited for most chemicals. Precautionary minimization of exposure is recommended.

What to do: Minimize exposure during pregnancy and lactation. Consult healthcare provider regarding specific risks. Consider alternative products with lower hazard profiles.

Regulatory consensus

2 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified Cetearyl alcohol. The classifications differ — that's the data.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
EU_Cosmetics_Regulation——Approved cosmetic ingredient; no concentration limit
FDA_OTC——Approved for cosmetic use; GRAS food additive status

Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.

Where kids encounter cetearyl alcohol

  • moisturizer
  • sunscreen
  • body_lotion
  • cream
  • conditioner

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Cetearyl alcohol:

  • Plant-derived oils with established safety profiles (jojoba, squalane, shea butter)
    Trade-offs: Consumer preference for 'natural' label; many natural fragrance compounds are potent allergens (limonene, linalool, eugenol); 'natural' ≠ 'safe'; often more expensive than synthetic equivalents.
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×
  • Ceramide-based formulations (biomimetic skin barrier repair)
    Trade-offs: Alternative emollient; skin feel, spreadability, and occlusion properties differ; comedogenicity should be assessed for facial use; stability in final formulation needs verification.
    Relative cost: 1.5-3×
  • Glycerin-based humectant systems as partial replacement
    Trade-offs: Direct chemical substitution requires verification that the replacement does not introduce new hazards (regrettable substitution). Conduct full hazard assessment of proposed alternative before adoption.
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×

Frequently asked questions

What products contain cetearyl alcohol?

Cetearyl alcohol appears in: moisturizer; sunscreen; body lotion.

See Cetearyl alcohol in the baby app

Look up products containing cetearyl alcohol, compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.

Open in baby View raw API data

Sources (1)
  1. ATSDR Toxicological Profile — CAS 67762-27-0 — reference

Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →