SPF Scout · Product record

Cetaphil Cetaphil

U.S. formulation · record last retrieved 27 July 2026

What is listed

The ingredient declaration stored for this formulation, reproduced exactly as it was recorded from the source below.

Octocrylene, Avobenzone, Water, Diisopropyl Adipate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tocopheryl Acetate, Carbomer, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide

16 entries · the stored declaration is recorded as complete.

What each ingredient generally does

Each entry that matched a canonical ingredient, with the function recorded for it. These notes describe the role an ingredient plays in a formulation. They do not assess an ingredient.

  • Octocrylene

    Light stabiliser (protects the formula from light)UV absorber (protects the formula from light, not a sunscreen filter)UV filter (filters UV rays)

    An organic UV filter that absorbs ultraviolet light. It also serves as a light stabilizer, helping keep other filters and the formula intact under sunlight.

  • Avobenzone

    Light stabiliser (protects the formula from light)UV absorber (protects the formula from light, not a sunscreen filter)UV filter (filters UV rays)

    An organic UV filter that absorbs ultraviolet light. It also acts as a light stabilizer, helping the formula hold up under sun exposure. On labels it also appears as Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane.

  • Water

    Antiplaque (CosIng functional class)otherSkin conditioning (CosIng functional class)Solvent (dissolves other ingredients)

    The base liquid that most of the other ingredients dissolve or spread into. It carries the formula and helps condition the skin surface.

  • Diisopropyl Adipate

    Emollient (softens and smooths skin)Fragrance ingredient (scent)Plasticiser (keeps a film flexible)Skin conditioning (CosIng functional class)Solvent (dissolves other ingredients)

    An oily liquid that softens skin and acts as a solvent to dissolve other ingredients. It helps the product spread smoothly and can add to the scent.

  • Cyclopentasiloxane

    Emollient (softens and smooths skin)Hair conditioning (CosIng functional class)Skin conditioning (CosIng functional class)Solvent (dissolves other ingredients)

    This is a lightweight silicone used to condition skin and hair and to soften and smooth skin feel. It also acts as a solvent, helping the product spread and dissolve other ingredients.

  • Glycerin

    Denaturant (makes alcohol undrinkable)Fragrance ingredient (scent)Hair conditioning (CosIng functional class)Humectant (holds moisture)Oral care (CosIng functional class)Skin conditioning (CosIng functional class)Skin protecting (CosIng functional class)Solvent (dissolves other ingredients)Viscosity control (thickens or thins the formula)

    Glycerin draws in and holds moisture while conditioning and protecting skin. It also dissolves other ingredients, adjusts thickness, and can add scent. On labels it may appear as glycerol.

  • Glyceryl Stearate

    Emollient (softens and smooths skin)Skin conditioning (CosIng functional class)Surfactant (cleanses or mixes oil and water)

    Glyceryl Stearate is an emollient that softens and smooths skin feel. It also acts as an emulsifier, keeping the oil and water parts blended together.

  • PEG-100 Stearate

    Surfactant (cleanses or mixes oil and water)

    A cleansing surfactant, meaning it helps lift away oil and dirt. It's often paired with other emulsifiers in creams.

  • Polymethyl Methacrylate

    Film forming (leaves a thin coating)

    This is a film former. It leaves a thin, even layer on the skin as the product sets. It often appears on labels as PMMA.

  • Phenoxyethanol

    Preservative (inhibits microbial growth)

    This is a preservative that fights microbes. It helps keep the product from spoiling over time.

  • Benzyl Alcohol

    Fragrance ingredient (scent)Preservative (inhibits microbial growth)Solvent (dissolves other ingredients)Viscosity control (thickens or thins the formula)

    Benzyl Alcohol is a multi-tasking ingredient that acts as a preservative to keep the product from spoiling and as a solvent to dissolve other ingredients. It also adds scent and adjusts the thickness of the formula.

  • Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

    Emulsion stabiliser (keeps oil and water mixed)Film forming (leaves a thin coating)otherViscosity control (thickens or thins the formula)

    A large chain-like molecule that stabilises emulsions, keeping the oil and water parts mixed. It also forms a thin film on the surface and adjusts the thickness of the product.

  • Tocopheryl Acetate

    Antioxidant (slows the formula oxidising)otherSkin conditioning (CosIng functional class)

    Tocopheryl Acetate is a form of vitamin E that acts as an antioxidant, helping keep the formula from going off. It also conditions the skin, softening its feel.

  • Carbomer

    Emulsion stabiliser (keeps oil and water mixed)Gel forming (sets the formula into a gel)otherViscosity control (thickens or thins the formula)

    A thickener that adjusts how thick the product is and forms a gel. It also keeps oil and water blends from separating, holding the texture together.

  • Disodium EDTA

    Chelating (binds metal ions in the formula)otherViscosity control (thickens or thins the formula)

    An ingredient that binds trace metals that would otherwise spoil the formula, and helps adjust its thickness. This keeps the product stable over time.

  • Sodium Hydroxide

    Buffering (holds the formula at a set acidity)Denaturant (makes alcohol undrinkable)other

    Sodium Hydroxide is a strongly alkaline ingredient used in tiny amounts to fine-tune a formula's acidity (buffering). This keeps the product's pH steady. It can also act as a denaturant, altering another substance so it stays fit for use in cosmetics rather than being consumed.

Checking this against your own list

SPF Scout's Personal Ingredient Check runs in the app, on your device. This page cannot see a personal avoidance list. Your selections are stored on your phone and are never sent to this website — there is nowhere on our side for them to go.

In the app you choose the ingredients you already avoid, and every entry in this declaration that matches one of them is shown to you with the alias path that produced the match.

This comparison does not predict whether your skin will react.

Source quality

Source
DailyMed drug label
Source record
https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=2a6bc3f2-4e52-252b-d051-94be1ee0cc00
Retrieved
27 July 2026
Market
United States
Formulation date
Not recorded
Version
v2 of this U.S. formulation
Verification confidence
High
Entries recorded
16
Record checksum
sha256:c271ab3abb1a7b866b42ac78a477fb21adb6227c326d794df8031b19d7c7ce41

Earlier readings of this document

We have read this product's source document twice, and kept each reading. The earlier reading is ours: a change in how we read the document, not a change the manufacturer made to the formula.

Always compare this record with your current package.

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