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Cetearyl Glucoside

What Cetearyl Glucoside is & what it does

A gentle, plant-derived emulsifier that blends oil and water into mild, skin-friendly creams. It supports a smooth texture and suits sensitive skin.

What is Cetearyl Glucoside and what does it do in sunscreen?

It is a gentle, plant-derived emulsifier. In a sunscreen it blends the oil and water phases into one smooth, stable cream and helps keep that mixture from separating over time. It is a mild option often chosen for sensitive-skin formulas, and it leaves a pleasant, even texture.

Is Cetearyl Glucoside safe?

Yes. It is a well-tolerated emulsifier made from sugar (glucose) and fatty alcohols, and it works on the skin surface rather than being absorbed. It is considered mild and is commonly used in formulas aimed at sensitive skin. At the levels used in sunscreen it is non-irritating for most people.

Does Cetearyl Glucoside clog pores?

Generally no. We have no comedogenic flag on it, so it is treated as generally low risk for clogging pores. It is a lightweight emulsifier used in small amounts, not a heavy oil or wax. Pore-clogging in a formula is far more likely to come from the richer emollients and oils than from a mild emulsifier like this.

Is Cetearyl Glucoside fungal-acne safe?

Not strictly. It carries a fatty (cetearyl alcohol) portion that the malassezia yeast behind fungal acne can use as a food source, so people actively managing fungal acne may prefer to avoid it. For everyone else it is harmless and simply acts as a gentle emulsifier. This is one narrow skin concern, not a general safety issue.

Is Cetearyl Glucoside natural?

It is plant-derived but technically processed. It is built from glucose (a plant sugar) and cetearyl alcohol (typically from coconut or palm), joined together in manufacturing, so the building blocks are natural even though the finished emulsifier is made in a facility. It is generally considered vegan as well, since both sources are plant-based.

Sunscreens with Cetearyl Glucoside

We rate 352 sunscreens that contain it, showing the top 10 by overall score:

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