Cetyl palmitate derives its vegan and vegetarian status from cetyl alcohol, palmitic acid, spermaceti.
| Vegan? Maybe | Vegetarian? Maybe |
Classifications are made based on the available commercial supply of the ingredient, and are made based on the criteria on our classifications page.
Commercially available cetyl palmitate may be vegan depending on the source and may be vegetarian depending on the source.
Cetyl palmitate is used in cosmetics as a thickener and emulsifier. It was originally produced from sperm whales where it was harvested as the primary constituent of spermaceti. Currently it is commercially produced from cetyl alcohol and palmitic acid.