CIR Safety Review: The CIR Expert Panel noted that much is known about the biological activities of fatty acids and long-chain aliphatic alcohols and esters. The toxicological data for the five long-chain aliphatic alcohols included in this report (Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Isostearyl Alcohol, Myristyl Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol) revealed no significant toxicity. For example, Cetyl Alcohol was not mutagenic. Formulations containing these fatty alcohols were not dermal irritants or sensitizers.

Assuming that the five ingredients are of the same grade of purity, the similar chemical structure permits extrapolation of data for one of the alcohols to the remaining four alcohols. Thus, the CIR Expert Panel considered it reasonable to assume that the fatty alcohols reviewed in this report have equivalent biological activity.

FDA: Link to Code of Federal Regulations for synthetic fatty alcohols including Cety, Stearyl and Myristyl Alcohols
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRS...
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRS...

If they are derived from plants, Cetearyl, Cetyl, Isostearyl, Myristyl and Behenyl Alcohols may be used in cosmetics and personal care products marketed in Europe according to the general provisions of the Cosmetics Directive of the European Union. Ingredients of animal origin must comply with European Union animal by-products regulations.
Link to the EU Cosmetics Directive:
http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/sectors/cosmetics/documents/di...

Cetearyl, Cetyl, Isostearyl, Myristyl and Behenyl alcohols are fatty alcohols. They are produced from natural fats and oils by reduction of the fatty acid carboxyl group (-COOH) to the hydroxyl (-OH) function. Alternately, several completely synthetic routes yield fatty alcohols which may be structurally identical or similar to the naturally-derived alcohols. Fatty alcohols generally are primary alcohols conforming to the structure RCH2OH; where the R group varies with each individual alcohol. Those fatty alcohols prepared from naturally occurring fatty acids normally contain an even number of carbon atoms.

Fatty alcohols are used as emollients in numerous types of cosmetics. They are valuable as co-emulsifiers and are employed to increase the viscosity of emulsions, shampoos and other products.