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Cetyl Dimethicone

What Cetyl Dimethicone is & what it does

A waxy silicone emollient that conditions skin and gives a smooth, non-greasy feel while helping stabilize emulsions. It improves spread and softness.

What is Cetyl Dimethicone and what does it do in sunscreen?

Cetyl Dimethicone is a waxy silicone emollient. In sunscreen it conditions the skin and gives a smooth, non-greasy feel while helping to stabilize the emulsion so the oil and water phases stay blended. It also improves how the product spreads and how soft the skin feels afterward. You will often see it in mineral formulas, where it helps disperse zinc oxide and titanium dioxide evenly.

Is Cetyl Dimethicone safe?

Yes. Silicone-based emollients like Cetyl Dimethicone are considered well tolerated and non-irritating for most people at the levels used in cosmetics. They sit on the surface of the skin rather than being absorbed, and they have a long track record in skincare and sunscreen. People with very reactive skin tolerate silicones well, since they are inert and rarely sensitizing.

Does Cetyl Dimethicone clog pores?

Generally no. It is not flagged as comedogenic, and silicones are widely regarded as low risk for clogging pores because they form a breathable, lightweight film rather than a heavy occlusive layer. If you are breaking out, the richer oils, waxes, or butters elsewhere in a formula are far more likely the cause than the silicone.

Is Cetyl Dimethicone natural or synthetic?

It is synthetic. Cetyl Dimethicone is a silicone, made by combining a dimethicone backbone with a cetyl (fatty) chain in a lab. It does not occur in nature, and that is normal for silicones, which are valued precisely for the smooth, consistent feel they give a formula.

What is Cetyl Dimethicone on an ingredient list (INCI)?

Cetyl Dimethicone is the INCI name printed on the label. It is a member of the silicone family, related to plain dimethicone but with a longer fatty side chain that makes it more waxy and emollient. It usually appears in the middle of the ingredient list, among the other emollients and texture agents.

Sunscreens with Cetyl Dimethicone

We rate 246 sunscreens that contain it, showing the top 10 by overall score:

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