Cetyl Alcohol is a synthetic, solid, fatty alcohol and nonionic surfactant. Cetyl alcohol is used as an emulsifying agent in pharmaceutical preparations.Hexadecan-1-ol is a long chain fatty alcohol that is hexadecane substituted by a hydroxy group at position 1. It has a role as a human metabolite and an algal metabolite. It is a long-chain primary fatty alcohol and a fatty alcohol 16:0.

It is used in the manufacture of perfumes, cosmetics, detergents, plasticizers, etc.It is suitable for use in various cosmetics as a base, especially for creams and lotions.In pharmaceuticals, it can be directly used as an emulsifier base for W/O creams and ointments.It is a raw material for Peregal, and can also be used in defoamers, water and soil preservatives, color formers, and stationary phases for gas chromatography.