Moderate Cosmetic Ingredient

Cetoleth-20

Also known as: Alcohols, C16-​18 and C18-​unsaturated, ethoxylated, Cemulsol 285, Cetyloleyl alcohol ethoxylate, Simulsol C, Rhodasurf CET 5 (+15 more)

INCI: CETOLETH-20

Cetoleth-20 (CAS 68920-66-1) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Surfactant — cleansing; surfactant — emulsifying (high-HLB O/W emulsifier). NOAEL 300 mg/kg bw/day (cross-referenced against ToxValDB ECHA IUCLID); EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: permitted. Industrial safety data is also available in the chemical safety database. Same-CAS public records also appear in industrial chemical safety data.

View industrial chemical safety profile for CAS 68920-66-1 →

Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
CAS Number
68920-66-1
View industrial chemical safety profile →
Function
Surfactant — cleansing; surfactant — emulsifying (high-HLB O/W emulsifier)
Safety Rating
MODERATE

Chemistry & Identifiers

EC Number
500-236-9

Regulatory Status

EU EU Status permitted
US US Status permitted
US Notes Not restricted; VCRP-listed cosmetic ingredient

For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.

Safety Data

Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Cetoleth-20.

Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.

Pre-Calculated Safety Assessment

Pre-calculated NOAEL → SED → MoS audit trail for Cetoleth-20 across SCCS product categories, with measured dermal absorption where available.

ECHA REACH Registration

European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.

Registration Type
Full
Tonnage Band
1,000 - 10,000 tonnes
Substance Type
SUBSTANCE
SVHC Candidate
No

Function Categories & List Membership

Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Cleaning agent Dispersing agent Emulsifier Lubricating agent Solvent Surfactant (surface active agent) Thickening agent Wetting agent (non-aqueous)

Expert Verdict

Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Cetoleth-20.

Known Synonyms

Alcohols, C16-​18 and C18-​unsaturated, ethoxylated Cemulsol 285 Cetyloleyl alcohol ethoxylate Simulsol C Rhodasurf CET 5 Cimagal-O Empilan KL 6 Alcools en C16-18 et en C18 insatures, ethoxyles SDA 11-065-00 Alcohols, C16-18(even numbered) and C18 unsaturated, ethoxylated < 2.5 EO Rhodasurf CET 2 Unsatd. (C=18) and (C=16-18) ethoxylated alcohols Remcopal OC 9 Alcohols C16-18,18 unsaturated,ethoxylated Emulmin 110 Remcopal OC 5 Emulsogen M Remcopal OC 23 Emulsogen M-A Remcopal 220

Chemical Function

Surfactant (surface active agent) Cleaning agent Thickening agent

Regulatory Lists

Cleaning products and household care - shoes; Europe Cleaning products and household care - shoes; Europe inert_ingredient; Pesticides inert_ingredient; non_food_use; Pesticides

Australian Status

AICIS status: listed

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Cetoleth-20 safe in cosmetics?

Cetoleth-20 has a safety rating of "MODERATE" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted.

Is Cetoleth-20 allowed in the EU?

Cetoleth-20 EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.

What does Cetoleth-20 do in cosmetics?

Cetoleth-20 functions as: Surfactant — cleansing; surfactant — emulsifying (high-HLB O/W emulsifier). It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 68920-66-1.

Is Cetoleth-20 used outside cosmetics?

Cetoleth-20 also appears in industrial chemical safety data. The cross-vertical cards on this page render same-CAS public rows from the matched databases.

Does Cetoleth-20 have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?

Cetoleth-20 is classified GHS Danger (H302, H315, H318, H411) in the chemicals database but is allowed in EU cosmetics.

Compliance Tools

Check Cetoleth-20 compliance across multiple jurisdictions:

Ingredient Decoder
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82 Allergen Checker
Check for EU declarable fragrance allergens
Substance Compliance
Check compliance across multiple jurisdictions
MoS Calculator
Calculate Margin of Safety using SCCS methodology
Heavy Metal Limits
Compare limits across jurisdictions

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