spermaceti is a waxy substance used in the manufacture of cosmetics to thicken the products and give them shine. Spermaceti is non-toxic and non-irritating. originally obtained from whales as a source of fish oil, it is now synthetically produced and is a cetyl ester.
Definition
The waxy substance obtained from the head of a sperm whale. It consists primarily of cetyl palmitate, cetyl alcohol, and esters of lauric acid, myristic acid and stearic acid.
