The INCI

INCI

The International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients, abbreviated INCI, is a system of names for waxes, oils, pigments, chemicals, and other ingredients of soaps, cosmetics, and the like, based on scientific names and other Latin and English words...

 names ceteareth-n (where n is a number) refer to polyoxyethylene

Polyethylene glycol

Polyethylene glycol is a polyether compound with many applications from industrial manufacturing to medicine. It has also been known as polyethylene oxide or polyoxyethylene , depending on its molecular weight, and under the tradename Carbowax.-Available forms:PEG, PEO, or POE refers to an...

 ether

Ether

Ethers are a class of organic compounds that contain an ether group — an oxygen atom connected to two alkyl or aryl groups — of general formula R–O–R'. A typical example is the solvent and anesthetic diethyl ether, commonly referred to simply as "ether"...

s of a mixture of high molecular mass

Molecular mass

The molecular mass of a substance is the mass of one molecule of that substance, in unified atomic mass unit u...

 saturated

Saturation (chemistry)

In chemistry, saturation has six different meanings, all based on reaching a maximum capacity...

 fatty alcohol

Fatty alcohol

Fatty alcohols are aliphatic alcohols consisting of a chain of 8 to 22 carbon atoms. Fatty alcohols usually have even number of carbon atoms and a single alcohol group attached to the terminal carbon. Some are unsaturated and some are branched...

s, mainly cetyl alcohol

Cetyl alcohol

Cetyl alcohol, also known as 1-hexadecanol and palmityl alcohol, is a fatty alcohol with the chemical formula CH315OH. At room temperature, cetyl alcohol takes the form of a waxy white solid or flakes....

 (m = 15) and stearyl alcohol

Stearyl alcohol

Stearyl alcohol is a substance prepared from stearic acid by the process of catalytic hydrogenation. It is a fatty alcohol. It takes the form of white solid granules or flakes which are insoluble in water, with a melting point of 60 °C and boiling point of 210 °C...

 (m = 17). The number n indicates the average number of ethylene oxide residues in the polyoxyethylene chain.

These compounds are non-ionic surfactant

Surfactant

Surfactants are compounds that lower the surface tension of a liquid, the interfacial tension between two liquids, or that between a liquid and a solid...

s work by attracting both water and oil at the same time, frequently used as emulsifiers in soap

Soap

In chemistry, soap is a salt of a fatty acid.IUPAC. "" Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd ed. . Compiled by A. D. McNaught and A. Wilkinson. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford . XML on-line corrected version: created by M. Nic, J. Jirat, B. Kosata; updates compiled by A. Jenkins. ISBN...

s and cosmetics

Cosmetics

Cosmetics are substances used to enhance the appearance or odor of the human body. Cosmetics include skin-care creams, lotions, powders, perfumes, lipsticks, fingernail and toe nail polish, eye and facial makeup, towelettes, permanent waves, colored contact lenses, hair colors, hair sprays and...

.

List of ceteareth compounds

• Ceteareth-2
• Ceteareth-3
• Ceteareth-4
• Ceteareth-5
• Ceteareth-6
• Ceteareth-7
• Ceteareth-8
• Ceteareth-9
• Ceteareth-10
• Ceteareth-11
• Ceteareth-12
• Ceteareth-13
• Ceteareth-15
• Ceteareth-16
• Ceteareth-17
• Ceteareth-18
• Ceteareth-20 (CAS # 68439-49-6)
• Ceteareth-22
• Ceteareth-23
• Ceteareth-25
• Ceteareth-27
• Ceteareth-28
• Ceteareth-29
• Ceteareth-30
• Ceteareth-33
• Ceteareth-34
• Ceteareth-40
• Ceteareth-50
• Ceteareth-55
• Ceteareth-60
• Ceteareth-80
• Ceteareth-100