Ceteareth-25 ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is a nonionic emulsifier and solubilizer, mainly used to help oil and water stay blended in creams, lotions, cleansers, and hair products. It can also improve texture, spread, and foam stability.
What does Ceteareth-25 do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is a nonionic emulsifier and solubilizer, mainly used to help oil and water stay blended in creams, lotions, cleansers, and hair products. It can also improve texture, spread, and foam stability.
Is Ceteareth-25 clean?
From a clean-beauty perspective, it often has friction because it is made through ethoxylation, a process associated with possible trace 1,4-dioxane and ethylene oxide residues if purification is weak. It is generally considered low-irritation in finished formulas when well purified.
Is Ceteareth-25 sustainable?
This material is typically made from fatty alcohol feedstocks that may come from palm, coconut, or petrochemical sources, then reacted with a petrochemical-derived oxide. It is expected to be biodegradable, but its sourcing and processing are less aligned with low-impact ingredient design than simpler plant-derived emulsifiers.
Is Ceteareth-25 COSMOS-approved?
It is not permitted under COSMOS-natural or COSMOS-organic standards because ethoxylated materials are outside the allowed chemistry. Its Green Chemistry fit is limited by petrochemical input and ethoxylation, even though the fatty portion can be renewable and the molecule is not known for strong persistence.
How does Ceteareth-25 work chemically?
The molecule is a nonionic polyethoxylated fatty alcohol, with a long lipophilic chain and a highly water-compatible polyether segment averaging about 25 oxyethylene units. It is typically used at low single-digit percentages, is stable across a broad cosmetic pH range, and pairs well with fatty alcohols, waxes, oils, and other nonionic or anionic surfactants.
Last updated 2026-05-13