Database/Humectant/Glycereth-7
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Glycereth-7 natural?

Mostly not. A natural glycerin core carries a shorter petrochemical polyethylene-oxide chain of 7 units.

INCI nameGlycereth-7
CAS31694-55-0
FormulaC9H20O6 · 224.25 Da
FunctionHumectant · Viscosity Controlling
FeedstockMade by reacting natural glycerin (from plant oils…

How we scored it

Glycerin 92 Da (natural) + 7x ethylene oxide 44 Da (petrochemical, 308 Da) = 92/400 = 0.23
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 by reacting natural glycerin (from plant oils or fermentation) with 7 moles of petrochemical ethylene oxide.

In plain English

A humectant made from glycerin extended with a short chain of ethylene oxide. About a quarter of its weight is plant-derived glycerin; the rest is synthetic.

CosIng definition: Poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl), .alpha.,.alpha.',.alpha.''-1,2,3-propanetriyltris-.omega.-hydroxy-

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Structure

2D structure of Glycereth-7

2-[2,3-bis(2-hydroxyethoxy)propoxy]ethanol

PubChem CID 88802 ↗

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. 2Glycereth-7. PubChem CID 88802. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3GLYCERETH-7. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4GLYCERETH-7. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=GLYCERETH-7