Database/Cleansing/Ceteareth-28
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Ceteareth-28 natural?

Mostly not. Fatty alcohol chain is oleochemical (natural); the 28 ethylene oxide units are petrochemical and dominate the molecule's mass.

INCI nameCeteareth-28
CAS68439-49-6
FunctionCleansing · Emulsifying Surfactant
FeedstockCetearyl alcohol is typically derived from palm or…

How we scored it

C16-18 fatty alcohol 256 Da (natural) + 28 EO x44 Da = 1234 Da (petrochemical). 256/1490 = 0.17.
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

Cetearyl alcohol is typically derived from palm or coconut fatty acids, then reacted with ethylene oxide from petrochemical crackers to add 28 EO units. The oxide chain makes up most of the final molecule's weight.

In plain English

A cleansing and emulsifying ingredient made by reacting a plant-derived fatty alcohol with a petrochemical gas (ethylene oxide). It helps water and oil mix in creams and shampoos and helps the product foam and rinse clean.

CosIng definition: C16-18 alcohols, ethoxylated (28 mol EO average molar ratio)

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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. 2CETEARETH-28. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3CETEARETH-28. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=CETEARETH-28