Cetearyl Glucaside

TL;DR. This ingredient is a nonionic emulsifier used to build and stabilize oil-in-water creams, lotions, and conditioners. It helps create a smooth, lamellar texture and often supports other fatty alcohols or emulsifiers for better stability.

What does Cetearyl Glucaside do in a cosmetic formula?

This ingredient is a nonionic emulsifier used to build and stabilize oil-in-water creams, lotions, and conditioners. It helps create a smooth, lamellar texture and often supports other fatty alcohols or emulsifiers for better stability.

Is Cetearyl Glucaside clean?

It is generally well tolerated, with low irritation potential and no major clean-standard restriction profile. It is not a common fragrance allergen or preservation concern, and its main quality considerations are normal purity and residual-processing controls.

Is Cetearyl Glucaside sustainable?

This material is commonly made from sugar chemistry and long-chain fatty alcohol feedstocks, which may be plant-derived. It is considered readily biodegradable, with the main sourcing caveat being the traceability of palm or coconut-derived fatty inputs.

Is Cetearyl Glucaside COSMOS-approved?

It is permitted under COSMOS-natural and COSMOS-organic when the feedstocks and processing meet the standard. It fits Green Chemistry principles well because it can use renewable inputs, has good biodegradability, and does not require persistent silicone or petrochemical structures.

How does Cetearyl Glucaside work chemically?

The molecule is a nonionic amphiphile with a hydrophilic sugar head and long lipophilic fatty chains, allowing it to lower oil-water interfacial tension and form lamellar gel networks. Typical use levels are about 0.5% to 3% in emulsions, and it is broadly compatible across common cosmetic pH ranges.

Last updated 2026-05-14