Ceteth (inci)

The polyoxyethylene ethers of cetyl alcohol are called ceteth(e) (for comparison see: laurethe as polyoxyethylene ether of lauryl alcohol; steareth as polyoxyethylene ether of stearyl alcohol and others).

Polyalkylene glycol ethers are non-ionic surfactants whose lipophilic part consists of fatty alcohols (e.g. lauryl alcohol, palmitic alcohol, stearyl alcohols etc.). The hydrophilic part is formed by short-chain polyethylene glycols (polyoxyethylene). In the designation of fatty alcohol polyglycol ethers, the inserted numbering means the average number of ethylene oxide units per mole. Ceteth-10, for example, is the INCI designation for a polyoxyethylene ether with 10 ethylene oxide units per mole.

Representatives are Ceteth-1 to Ceteth-6, Ceteth-10, Ceteth-12, Ceteth-14, Ceteth-15, Ceteth-16, Ceteth-20, Ceteth-25, Ceteth-30. They act as surfactants.