How we scored it
Where it comes from
Made by esterifying palmitic acid, a fatty acid from palm or other vegetable oils, with ethylene glycol derived from petrochemical ethylene oxide. No significant bio-based ethylene glycol route is used commercially.
In plain English
A wax-like ester made from palmitic acid, a fatty acid from vegetable oils, combined with ethylene glycol. Used to thicken and add pearly opacity to lotions and shampoos, and to help emulsify oil and water.
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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.
- 2GLYCOL PALMITATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
- 3GLYCOL PALMITATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=GLYCOL%20PALMITATE