Cetearyl Alcohol

What is it? 

According to the internet - yes. 9 out of 10 times, research you do on the effects of
 alcohol on your hair will tell you “Alcohol is drying.” 

But that's only partially true. 

There’s more than one type of alcohol (in fact, there are many) and not all of them are bad. 
Dr. Joe explains, “You may be surprised to know some alcohols are, in fact, very beneficial to your hair because they have great hydrating, moisturizing and smoothing properties.” 

“The complex, molecular structure of different alcohols involves different carbon chains attached to the alcohol group. All you really need to know is that there are two major types of alcohols in skin and hair care products: short chain alcohols and long chain fatty alcohols.”  

One of the most common long chain fatty alcohols is cetearyl alcohol. It is an ingredient that is derived naturally from plants like palm oil or coconut oil. 

Cetearyl Alcohol acts as an emulsifier and stabilizer. This means that is it used for blending together ingredients that do not normally mix (such as water and oil). It can also be used to thicken up the consistency of a product. In clinical studies, Cetearyl Alcohol was found to have NO toxicity and was NON-mutagenic. Non-mutagenic means that it is a chemical agent that does NOT change your DNA. DNA changes are what can cause certain deceases, such as cancer. 

What are the benefits? 

• Hydrating 
• Moisturising 
• Smoothening (anti-frizz) 
• Softens and detangles 

EWG’s Skin Deep score = 1