Cetearyl alcohol
What are the aims of this patient information leaflet?
This leaflet has been written to help you understand more about your contact allergy. It tells you what a contact allergy is, what causes this allergy and what you can do about it.
What is contact allergy?
Dermatitis, also known as eczema, describes a type of inflammation of the skin. Contact dermatitis or contact eczema is a term used when this inflammation is caused by direct or indirect skin contact with something in your environment. Allergic contact dermatitis occurs when your immune system causes allergy to a very specific chemical or substance that has been in contact with the skin.
What causes your specific allergy?
Your patch tests indicate that you have a contact allergy to cetearyl alcohol.
What is cetearyl alcohol?
Cetearyl alcohol is a wax found in many cosmetic and personal care products and medicaments. It is a mixture of cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is also known as cetostearyl alcohol.
What are some products that contain cetearyl alcohol?
- Treatments for skin conditions including:
- Antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral creams
- Emollient cream, ointments, lotions and barrier creams
- Steroid creams
- Treatments for inflammatory skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema
- Cosmetic products including:
- Hair shampoos and conditioners, dyes, anti-frizz products, beard care products
- Moisturising cream, ointments, lotions and barrier creams
- Make-up, including mascara
- Shaving cream/lotions
- Sunscreens
Moisturisers which contain cetearyl alcohol
- Aqueous cream
- Aproderm and Aveeno cream and lotion
- Bepanthen ointment
- Cetraben cream, lotion and ointment
- Dermol lotion and cream
- Diprobase cream
- Cetomacrogol cream
- Emulisfying ointment
- Enopen cream
- Epaderm cream and ointment
- Epimax cream and ointment
- E45 products
- Hydromol cream and ointment
- Sudocrem
Steroid and treatment creams which contain cetearyl alcohol
- Betnovate cream and lotion, Betnovate RD cream
- Canesten and Canesten HC cream, vaginal cream
- Cocois/Sebco ointment
- Cutivate (Fluticasone propionate) cream
- Delgocitinib (Anzupgo) cream
- Dermovate cream
- Dithrocream
- Elidel (pimecrolimus cream)
- Eumovate cream
- Fucidin and Fucidin H cream and Fucibet cream
- Lamisil (terbinafine) cream
- Synalar cream
- Timodine cream
- Trimovate Cream
- Zovirax cream
It is safe to use these moisturisers/emollients and steroids:
- Emollients:
- Adex gel
- Calmurid
- Doublebase gel
- Diprobase ointment
- Emollin spray
- Hydromol intensive
- 50:50 ointment
- Topical steroids:
- Hydrocortisone 1% ointment
- Eumovate ointment
- Betnovate and Betnovate RD ointment
- Synalar gel and ointment
- Dermovate ointment
Remember, always check the label, these lists can never be complete and ingredients change.
How can I manage my allergy?
This means that you should avoid putting products containing cetearyl alcohol onto your skin in the future.
This means that you should avoid putting products containing cetearyl alcohol onto your skin in the future.
Cetyl alcohol, cetostearyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol, should also be avoided.
Self-care (what can I do?)
Always check the ingredient listing on the product, package or package insert as these lists can never be complete and ingredients change. This is particularly important for any products purchased outside the EU where some allergens may not be banned.
Created: 2025