Database/Emulsifying Surfactant/PEG-40 Sorbitan Peroleate
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is PEG-40 Sorbitan Peroleate natural?

Mostly not. Natural sorbitol-derived core and oleic-acid esters heavily diluted by a large petrochemical polyethylene-glycol (40 EO) chain.

INCI namePEG-40 Sorbitan Peroleate
FunctionEmulsifying Surfactant · Cleansing Surfactant
FeedstockMade from sorbitan (dehydrated plant sorbitol) esterified with…

How we scored it

Sorbitan core (164 Da, natural) + 4x oleate (natural fragment 265 Da each, 1061 Da) vs 40 EO (petrochemical, 1762 Da) -> ~1226/2988 = 0.41.
What counts. ISO 16128-2 scores the atoms that remain in the final ingredient. Reagents, solvents, catalysts and protecting groups used during manufacture leave no mass behind and are not counted.

Where it comes from

Made from sorbitan (dehydrated plant sorbitol) esterified with oleic acid (plant/animal fat derived) and then ethoxylated with about 40 mol of petrochemical ethylene oxide. The heavy EO loading dominates the final mass.

In plain English

An emulsifier and cleansing surfactant that helps oil and water mix. Made from sorbitol (plant sugar) reacted with oleic acid (plant/animal fat) and a large number of petrochemical ethylene-oxide units.

CosIng definition: 1,4-Anhydro-D-glucitol, ethoxylated, 9-(Z)-octadecenoates (1:4) (40 mol EO average molar ratio)

Natural alternatives with the same function

References

  1. 1ISO 16128-1:2016 and ISO 16128-2:2017 — Guidelines on technical definitions and criteria for natural and organic cosmetic ingredients and products. ISO, Geneva.
  2. 2PEG-40 SORBITAN PEROLEATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3PEG-40 SORBITAN PEROLEATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=PEG-40%20SORBITAN%20PEROLEATE