How we scored it
Where it comes from
Hydroxystearic acid (hydrogenated castor oil), stearic acid (vegetable fat) and rosin acids (pine resin) are esterified onto dipentaerythritol, a co-product of pentaerythritol made from formaldehyde and acetaldehyde. Bio-based pentaerythritol is not commercially significant, so the core is counted as petrochemical.
In plain English
A waxy, tacky ester that thickens oils and gives lipsticks and glosses a rich, glossy, cushioned feel while conditioning skin. It joins hydroxystearic acid, stearic acid and pine rosin acids, all from plants, onto dipentaerythritol, a polyalcohol made from formaldehyde and acetaldehyde.
CosIng definition: Dipentaerythrityl Hexahydroxystearate/Hexastearate/Hexarosinate is the hexaester of 6-hydroxystearic acid stearic acid derived from Rosin and a dimer of pentaerythritol
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References
- 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.
- 2DIPENTAERYTHRITYL HEXAHYDROXYSTEARATE/HEXASTEARATE/HEXAROSINATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
- 3DIPENTAERYTHRITYL HEXAHYDROXYSTEARATE/HEXASTEARATE/HEXAROSINATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=DIPENTAERYTHRITYL%20HEXAHYDROXYSTEARATE/HEXASTEARATE/HEXAROSINATE