Is Cetyl Alcohol Bad for Skin?

Is Cetyl alcohol really an alcohol? To most people the word 'alcohol' means ethanol, i.e. the clear, colourless, volatile liquid that is found in alcoholic beverages. When ethanol is used in skin and hair care products it can have a drying effect, and also acts as a solvent enabling otherwise inactive substances to cross the skin/blood barrier and enter the body. Garden of EDEN strictly does not use ethanol in any of our skincare products. For that reason, our full range of skincare is certified Halal.       Another group of alcohols found in nature are the fatty alcohols, which are derived from saturated vegetable fats such as coconut oil and palm oil. These have the appearance of solid white fatty waxes and are beneficial to both skin and hair, containing fatty acids that are highly compatible with human cell physiology.       So if you discover "cetyl alcohol" in a skincare label, it doesn't mean the true alcohol (arak) that most of us think it is! Cetyl alcohol is a nourishing emollient that can be good for your skin!