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Cosmetic and personal care ingredients

Cetyl alcohol vs stearyl alcohol

Cetyl alcohol (C16H34O, CAS 36653-82-4) and stearyl alcohol (C18H38O, CAS 112-92-5) are both listed under emollients.

Cetyl alcohol has a molar mass of 242.45 g/mol, stearyl alcohol 270.50 g/mol.

Measured boiling points are 334 °C for cetyl alcohol and 336 °C for stearyl alcohol.

Both carry the GHS signal word Warning.

On CompoundList, 263 suppliers list cetyl alcohol and 130 suppliers list stearyl alcohol.

Data last updated 7 October 2026

Cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol compared side by side
Cetyl alcohol chemical structure, C16H34O, CAS 36653-82-4
Cetyl alcohol
Stearyl alcohol chemical structure, C18H38O, CAS 112-92-5
Stearyl alcohol
Identity
Name in our databaseCetyl alcoholStearyl alcohol
CAS number36653-82-4112-92-5
Molecular formulaC16H34OC18H38O
Molar mass242.45 g/mol270.50 g/mol
IUPAC namehexadecan-1-oloctadecan-1-ol
EC number249-583-5204-017-6
Physical properties
AppearanceFlakes from ethyl acetateLeaflets from ethanol
Melting point49.3 °C59.5 °C
Boiling point334 °C336 °C
Density0.8187 at 50 °C/4 °CRelative density (water = 1): 0.81 (liquid)
Flash pointNot recorded200 °C
SolubilityIn water, 4.1 × 10⁻² mg/L at 25 °CIn water, 1.1 × 10⁻³ mg/L at 25 °C
LogP (octanol/water)Computed from the structure5.466.24
Safety (GHS)
Signal wordWarningWarning
Pictograms
GHS07: Harmful or irritant
GHS07: Harmful or irritant
GHS09: Hazardous to the environment
Hazard statements
  • H319 Causes serious eye irritation.
  • H319 Causes serious eye irritation.
  • H400 Very toxic to aquatic life.
  • H411 Toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects.
  • H412 Harmful to aquatic life with long lasting effects.
Uses and classification
Uses and functions
  • Emollients
  • Emulsifiers
  • Surfactants and cleansing agents
  • Thickeners
  • Skin conditioning agents
  • Fragrance ingredients
  • Emollients
  • Emulsifiers
  • Surfactants and cleansing agents
  • Thickeners
  • Fragrance ingredients
  • Algal metabolite
CategoryCosmetic ingredients › EmollientsCosmetic ingredients › Emollients
HS code290517Dodecan-1-ol (lauryl alcohol), hexadecan-1-ol (cetyl alcohol) and octadecan-1-ol…290517Dodecan-1-ol (lauryl alcohol), hexadecan-1-ol (cetyl alcohol) and octadecan-1-ol…
Market on CompoundList
Suppliers263 suppliers130 suppliers
Supplier countries46 countries, most in United States, China, India32 countries, most in United States, China, India
Price rangeOnly prices set by suppliers who manage their own profilePrice on requestPrice on request

Measured and computed values as shown on each chemical page, plus live listings on CompoundList. Details may have changed, please confirm them with the supplier. Safety data is a summary, not an SDS.

Cetyl alcohol
Stearyl alcohol

More comparisons

Other common chemical pairs, compared the same way.