Question Summary:
Are the following types of alcohol halal?

Question Detail:

Please can you tell me if the following ingredients are halal:

-Cetyl Alcohol

-Benzyl Alcohol

-Cetearyl Alcohol

-Cetostearyl Alcohol

-Cetylstearyl Alcohol

These are often found in moisturisers and skin care products so would appreciate some clarification please.

Answer :

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

In principle, alcohol derived from dates, grapes, wheat and raisins are not permissible. Alcohol derived from any other sources is permissible for external usage.

Benzyl alcohol is produced naturally by many plants or may even be synthetically manufactured. Therefore benzyl alcohol found in creams and cosmetics is permissible.[1]

Cetyl alcohol in this day and age is derived from palm oil and may also be synthetically produced, hence permissible for external usage. [2]

Cetearyl, cetostearyl and cetylstearyl alcohol are synonyms.[3] These alcohols are a combination of fatty alcohols, often cetyl and stearyl alcohol make up the major components. Fatty alcohols are commonly derived from vegetable oils. These are also permissible for external usage.

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Aboobakr Siddeeq bin Mufti Amjad Mohammad

Student Darul Iftaa 

Azaadville, JHB, South Africa 

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai. 

_____

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benzyl_alcohol

Benzyl alcohol is produced naturally by many plants and is commonly found in fruits and teas.

http://www.sanha.co.za/a/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=356&Itemid=261

Name: Benzyl Alcohol
Status: Halaal

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cetyl_alcohol

Modern production is based around the reduction of palmitic acid, which is obtained from palm oil.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palmitic_acid

Occurrence and production

Palmitic acid was discovered by Edmond Frémy in 1840, in saponified palm oil. This remains the primary industrial route for its production, with the triglycerides (fats) in palm oil being hydrolysed by high temperature water (above 200 °C or 390 °F), and the resulting mixture fractionally distilled to give the pure product.

Palmitic acid is naturally produced by a wide range of other plants and organisms, typically at low levels. It is naturally present in butter, cheese, milk, and meat, as well as cocoa butter, soybean oil, and sunflower oil.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cetostearyl_alcohol

Cetostearyl alcohol, cetearyl alcohol or cetylstearyl alcohol is a mixture of fatty alcohols, consisting predominantly of cetyl and stearyl alcohols and is classified as a fatty alcohol.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatty_alcohol

The traditional sources of fatty alcohols have largely been various vegetable oils and these remain a large-scale feedstock.

http://www.sciencelab.com/msds.php?msdsId=9923362

Product Name: Cetostearyl Alcohols

Synonym: Cetearyl Alcohol; Cetylstearyl Alcohol; Mixture of stearyl and cetyl alcohols