Quick answer
Fatty (non-irritating) alcohol often used to thicken/enhance the texture of skin care formulas; Can also be used as a surfactant (cleansing agent); Helps other ingredients in a formula stay mixed together/stable; Track record of safety backed by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel
Ceteareth-20
Updated
C16-18 alcohols, ethoxylated (20 mol EO average molar ratio)
Purpose
Plays various roles depending on the formula, including being used as a thickener, texture enhancer, cleansing surfactant and solubilizing agent to help ingredients stay mixed together.
Rating
GOOD
Category
Cleansing Agent
INCI Purpose
CLEANSING, SURFACTANT - CLEANSING, SURFACTANT - EMULSIFYING
Alternative Names
At a Glance
Fatty (non-irritating) alcohol often used to thicken/enhance the texture of skin care formulas
Can also be used as a surfactant (cleansing agent)
Helps other ingredients in a formula stay mixed together/stable
Track record of safety backed by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel
Article
Ceteareth-20 is a fatty (non-irritating) alcohol that plays various roles in skin care formulations. It can be used as a surfactant (cleansing agent) or to thicken/enhance the product’s consistency. It can also be used to help other ingredients in a formula solubilize and stay mixed together/stable, which contributes to efficacy.
Ceteareth-20 has a track record of safe use in cosmetics and is backed by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel. Their most recent report (at the time of this writing) looked at products containing up to 11% ceteareth-20.
References