INCI

Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside

What It is

Create lightweight emulsions that glide on skin or hair with Natural Emulsifier 68. This O/W (oil-in-water) emulsifier creates a special emulsion called a lamellar emulsion that helps deliver actives while increasing the moisture content of skin. It works best with an oil phase that is 10-25% of the formulation.

Why Mass Balance?

Natural Emulsifier 68 contains components, like cetearyl alcohol, that are sourced from mass balance palm. Cetearyl alcohol almost always comes from palm oil, as it is nearly impossible to source cetearyl alcohol on a commercial scale from other plants. There is no producer that will guarantee cetearyl alcohol comes from non-palm sources. Therefore, it is critical to use cetearyl alcohol from mass balance palm certified sources as a step towards sustainable palm use.

How It's Made

Palm oil undergoes a chemical reaction to release free fatty acids like palmitic acid and stearic acid. This mixture is distilled to separate palmitic acid and stearic acids, where they are converted to cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. Cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol are weighed out in equal portions and melted together to become cetearyl alcohol.

Cetearyl Glucoside is made by extracting cyclic sugars from the wheat seed and reacting them with cetearyl alcohol made from palm oil or coconut meat. The two components (Cetearyl Glucoside and Cetearyl Alcohol) are melted together into easy-to-use pastilles.

Certifications
Vegan
Vegan
Nut Free
Nut Free
Gluten Free
Gluten Free
Non GMO
Non GMO
Mass Balance Palm
Mass Balance Palm
People and Planet
People and Planet
INCI
Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside

People and Planet

Readily Biodegradable
Mass Balance Certified Palm Certificate BVC-RSPO-1-1972708497
EcoCert, COSMOS and NaTrue Approved


Geographical Origin

Indonesia, France


Ingredient Origin

Plant (Wheat, Palm, Palm Kernel, Coconut)


Function

Emulsifier, Thickener, Stability Enhancer, Surfactant


Types of Formulas

Lotions, Creams


Use Level

0.5 - 5%


Color / Odor / Appearance

Off White / None / Waxy Pellet


Solubility

Oils


Melting Point

141ºF - 149ºF


Percent Active

Cetearyl Alcohol 75 - 85%
Cetearyl Glucoside 15 - 25%


Natural Index ISO 16128

1


Storage

Store in closed container in a dark, cool place.


Shelf Life

See retest date on Certificate of Analysis.


Warning

For external use only. Keep out of reach of children.


Regulatory Documents

Safety Data Sheet
Certificate of Analysis Lot 24G182

Sold in ounces by weight. See our Terms for full warranties on safety & regulatory.


Why It's Special

This emulsifier is easy to use, plant-based and works in just about anything. We love the lightweight feel.

Quality. Transparency. Trust
Breakdown
Breakdown

Palm Kernel Oil undergoes transesterification to liberate free fatty acids.

Separation
Separation

This mixture is distlled to separated palmitic and stearic acids, whether they are converted to Cetyl And Stearyl Alcohol.

Extraction
Extraction

Separately, cyclic sugars are extracted from wheat seed.

Combination
Combination

Cetyl and Stearyl Alcohols combine to form Cetearyl Alcohol, which is then reacted with the cyclic glucose from wheat.

Pastillation
Pastillation

Cetearyl Glucoside and Cetearyl Alcohol are combined together and pastillated for easy use.

Make It Yours
Hydrating Body Lotion

This medium-bodied lotion goes on thick and creamy! Organic Shea Butter and Squalane restore lipids to the skin while Natural Emulsifier 68 MB keeps it feeling light.

print recipe

Double Boiler
Scale
2 Mixing Vessels
Immersion Blender
Spoon
Thermometer
Storage Container

Skill Level: Moderate

Makes 200 grams or 6 ounces.

INGREDIENT FORMULA  WEIGHT
1 Distilled or Deionized Water 70.8% 141.6 g
2 Organic Glycerin 5.0% 10.0 g
3 Tara Gum* 0.4% 0.8 g
4 Natural Emulsifier 68 MB 3.5% 7.0 g
5 Cetearyl Alcohol MB 2.8% 5.6 g
6 Organic Jojoba Oil 6.5% 13.0 g
7 Squalane 5.0% 10.0 g
8 Organic Shea Butter 4.0% 8.0 g
9 Hyaluronic Acid Solution 1.0% 2.0 g
10 Preservative PE 1.0% 2.0 g
TOTAL 100%  200.0 g

Ingredients marked with an asterisk can be purchased from any supplier.

Prepare a double boiler with water in the bottom pan and add ingredient 1 to the top pan. Premix Organic Glycerin and Tara Gum in a side container to form a slurry. Add the slurry to the main vessel and mix with an imersion blender or hand mixer until homogenous. Begin heating the mixture to 170ºF with light stirring.

In another bowl, premix ingredients 4 - 8 and gently heat in the microwave until everything is dissolved and mixture is 175ºF. Slowly pour the oil phase into the main vessel. Gently stir the mixture with an immersion blender, making sure to not introduce air into the fluid. Once homogenous, remove everything from the heat.

Continue to gently stir while cooling. When the temperature is below 110ºF, add the remaining ingredients one-by-one, stirring in between each addition. Pour into desired containers. Lotion will thicken over the next few days.

INGREDIENTS: Water, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Squalane, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin

This recipe is only a representative formulation to serve as an example of how these ingredients can be used. It is not a commercial product. Please conduct own testing as this formulation has not been subjected to testing for either performance, efficacy or safety.

Before handling ingredients, read all product information and safety data sheets for the ingredients to understand any handling instructions, safety precautions, and disposal instructions.