How we scored it
Ester of glycerin + stearic acid + lactic acid, all natural building blocks; condensation water excluded from petrochemical mass.
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 esterifying vegetable-oil-derived glycerin and stearic acid with fermentation-derived lactic acid. No significant petrochemical route exists.
In plain English
An emollient and emulsifier made from glycerin, stearic acid (a fatty acid from vegetable oil), and lactic acid. Helps soften skin and blend oil and water phases in creams.
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.
- 2GLYCERYL STEARATE LACTATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
- 3GLYCERYL STEARATE LACTATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=GLYCERYL%20STEARATE%20LACTATE