Cetearyl phosphate

Cetearyl phosphate (CAS 90506-73-3) is a phosphate ester of cetearyl alcohol used as an emulsifier and wetting agent. Also marketed as Botanimulse CSP and Empiphos TM.

Where is Cetearyl phosphate used?

• Skin and hair care: primary emulsifier in creams, lotions and conditioners, providing stable emulsion architecture across a range of pH conditions
• Color cosmetics: pigment dispersant for uniform coverage in foundations and tinted moisturizers
• Home care and industrial cleaning: substrate wetting and solubilization of oils and soils in liquid detergent systems
• It stabilizes oil-in-water and water-in-oil systems while modifying surface behavior to improve ingredient compatibility and texture.

Good to know: Selected for mild or natural-positioned formulations where a plant-derived phosphate emulsifier is a specific formulation requirement; some suppliers offer plant-derived variants.

Commercial specifications

• Packaging commonly in bags or drums sized for batch manufacturing