A process for making branched, substantially unsaturated fatty alcohols involving: (a) providing a C16-22 fatty acid; (b) dimerizing the C16-22 fatty acid to form a monomer fraction containing branched, substantially unsaturated fatty acids; (c) removing the monomer fraction; (d) esterifying the branched, substantially unsaturated fatty acids contained in the monomer fraction into branched, substantially unsaturated fatty acid methyl esters; and (e) hydrogenating the branched, substantially unsaturated fatty acid methyl esters with their double bonds intact, to form the branched, substantially unsaturated fatty alcohols.