Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate
What Is It?
Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate is a clear, oily liquid that is used in the formulation of a wide variety of cosmetics and personal care products. Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate was formerly named Cetearyl Octanoate for the purpose of ingredient declarations on product labels.
Why Is It Used?
Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate acts as a lubricant on the skin’s surface to give it a soft and smooth appearance and as a hair conditioning ingredient. It also imparts water-repelling characteristics to cosmetics and personal care products, improves “spreadability,” and is used to improve dry skin conditions.
Scientific Facts
Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate is the esterAn organic compound formed by the reaction of an acid with an alcohol. of Cetearyl AlcoholAlcohols are a large class of important cosmetic ingredients but only ethanol needs to be denatured to prevent it from being redirected from cosmetic applications to alcoholic beverages. and 2-ethylhexanoic acid (octanoic acid). Cetearyl alcohol is a straight-chain fatty alcohol and ethylhexanoic acid is a branched-chain fatty acidA natural organic compound that consists of a carboxyl group (oxygen, carbon and hydrogen) attached to a chain of carbon atoms with their associated hydrogen atoms. The chain of carbon atoms may be connected with single bonds, making a ‘saturated’ fat; or it may contain some double bonds, making an ‘unsaturated’ fat. The number of carbon and hydrogen atoms in the chain is what determines the qualities of that particular fatty acid. Animal and vegetable fats are made up of various combinations of fatty acids (in sets of three) connected to a glycerol molecule, making them triglycerides. with eight carbon atoms.
Safety Information
The safety of Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate has been assessed by the Cosmetic Ingredient ReviewThe Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) was established in 1976 as an independent safety review program for cosmetic ingredients. The CIR Expert Panel consists of independent experts in dermatology, toxicology, pharmacolgy and veterinary medicine. The CIR includes participation by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration and the Consumer Federation of America. (CIR) Expert Panel. The CIR Expert Panel evaluated the scientific data and concluded that Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate was safe as a cosmetic ingredient in the present practices of use. In 2003, as part of the scheduled re-evaluation of ingredients, the CIR Expert Panel considered available new data on this ingredient and reaffirmed the above conclusion.
CIR Safety Review:
The CIREP reported that the acute oral toxicity of Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate was low and that the ingredient produced no significant acute, subchronic or dermal skin or eye irritation. The ingredient produced no evidence of skin sensitization. Similar studies with product formulations containing Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate confirmed these results, as well as indicated the ingredient was not phototoxic.
In clinical studies, slight to moderate irritation with undiluted Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate was observed. Tests of product formulations containing Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate showed no signs of skin sensitization, photocontact allergenicity, or phototoxicity. Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate may be used in cosmetics and personal care products marketed in the European Union according to the general provisions of the Cosmetics Directive of the European Union.
Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate may be derived from raw materials of animal origin. In the European Union, ingredients obtained from animal sources must not contain any material from animals with a potential for BSE (see entry 419 of Annex II of the Cosmetics Directive).
Link to the EU Cosmetic Regulation:
http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/consumers/product_labelling_and_p…
More Scientific Information
Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate is the ester of cetearyl alcohol, a mixture of fatty alcohols that consists predominantly of cetyl and stearyl alcohols, and 2-ethylhexanoic acid. Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate functions as skin conditioning agent – emollient and a hair conditioning ingredient in cosmetics and personal care products.
Resources
EU Cosmetic Ingredients Inventory http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/cosmetics/cosing/
Search the FDA Code of Federal Regulations http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/cfrsearch.cfm