C14-22 Alcohols

C14-22 Alcohols are long-chain (fatty) alcohols used primarily as emollients, thickeners, and stabilizers, typically at low-to-moderate concentrations in creams/lotions, and they are generally well-tolerated compared with short-chain “drying” alcohols. Clinical experience and patch-test data indicate a low rate of irritation or allergy, but compromised barrier skin (e.g., active eczema) can react to almost any structuring agent, so they are not fully inert. Given the very low but non-zero irritation potential in highly reactive patients, a very gentle score is most consistent with safety-focused assessment. Safety Notes: C14-22 Alcohols (a fatty alcohol blend) is commonly used at very low levels (~0.1–0.5%) as an emulsion stabilizer/viscosity aid in lotions, cleansers, and serums where it appears mid-to-late INCI. In richer leave-on creams, body butters, and some hair/skin conditioning emulsions, it is used more structurally as part of the fatty phase, with commercial products commonly reaching ~3–8% and high-structure OTC formulations observed up to about 10%. This ingredient is not independently restricted by major cosmetic regulations, so the practical upper end is driven by aesthetics, waxiness, and emulsion stability rather than regulatory limits.