How we scored it
Where it comes from
Made by esterifying oleochemical cetyl (C16) alcohol, typically from coconut or palm oil, with petrochemical 2-ethylhexanoic acid. The fatty alcohol carries most of the molecule's mass.
In plain English
A lightweight, non-greasy emollient ester that gives a silky feel to lotions and sunscreens. Made by combining a coconut or palm-derived fatty alcohol with a petroleum-derived branched acid.
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Structure
hexadecyl 2-ethylhexanoate
References
- 1ISO 16128-1:2016 and ISO 16128-2:2017 — Guidelines on technical definitions and criteria for natural and organic cosmetic ingredients and products. ISO, Geneva.
- 2Cetyl Ethylhexanoate. PubChem CID 42956. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
- 3CETYL ETHYLHEXANOATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
- 4CETYL ETHYLHEXANOATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=CETYL%20ETHYLHEXANOATE