How we scored it
Where it comes from
Dominant route is esterification of vegetable stearic acid with ethylene glycol, with a small amount of a self-emulsifying soap or ethoxylated emulsifier added. Mono/di ester ratio and the additive vary by supplier.
In plain English
A waxy, pearly ingredient that thickens and opacifies creams and shampoos and helps oil and water mix. It is mostly ethylene glycol monostearate, an ester of stearic acid (from vegetable fat) and ethylene glycol (a petrochemical), with a small self-emulsifying additive.
Natural alternatives with the same function
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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 STEARATE SE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
- 3GLYCOL STEARATE SE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=GLYCOL%20STEARATE%20SE