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Undecyl Alcohol

What Undecyl Alcohol is & what it does

Undecyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol with an eleven-carbon chain, used in cosmetics chiefly as an emollient, fragrance component, and viscosity or texture modifier. Unlike volatile drying alcohols, fatty alcohols of this type help give products a smooth, conditioned skin feel and can support emulsion stability. It is typically used at low levels within a broader formula. It is not a UV filter and contributes no sun protection.

What is Undecyl Alcohol?

Undecyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol with an eleven-carbon chain. Despite the name, fatty alcohols like this behave very differently from drying solvent alcohols.

What does Undecyl Alcohol do in skincare?

It is used as an emollient, a fragrance component, and a texture or viscosity modifier, helping give products a smooth, conditioned feel. It is typically present at low levels and is not a UV filter.

Is Undecyl Alcohol drying or harsh?

As a fatty alcohol it is generally non-drying and is commonly used to improve skin feel rather than strip the skin. No specific concerns are flagged for it in our catalog.

Sunscreens with Undecyl Alcohol

We rate 4 sunscreens that contain it:

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