Database/Viscosity Controlling/Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose Stearoxy Ether
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose Stearoxy Ether natural?

Mostly. The cellulose backbone is natural and the grafted stearyl chain is oleochemical, so the fatty graft raises the value rather than lowering it. Only the methyl and hydroxypropyl ethers and the glycidyl linker are petrochemical. Even at the maximum possible methyl substitution the value cannot fall anywhere near the previous figure.

INCI nameHydroxypropyl Methylcellulose Stearoxy Ether
FunctionViscosity Controlling
FeedstockWood or cotton cellulose is methylated with methyl…

How we scored it

Per anhydroglucose unit: cellulose 162.14 Da natural, plus methyl groups at DS 1.9 (1.9 x 14.03 = 26.65 Da, petrochemical), plus hydroxypropyl at MS 0.2 (0.2 x 58.08 = 11.62 Da, petrochemical), plus a stearyl glycidyl ether graft at DS 0.05 (0.05 x 326.56 = 16.33 Da, of which the stearyl-oxy share 0.05 x 269.49 = 13.47 Da is natural). Natural 162.14 + 13.47 = 175.61 Da of 216.74 Da, so 175.61/216.74 = 0.81.
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

Wood or cotton cellulose is methylated with methyl chloride and hydroxypropylated with propylene oxide, then lightly grafted with stearyl glycidyl ether made from a fatty alcohol. Substitution levels are not published and were assumed typical for the ingredient class.

In plain English

A thickening ingredient made from plant cellulose that has been chemically modified with methyl, hydroxypropyl and fatty stearyl groups. The cellulose backbone is plant-derived; most of the added chemical groups are synthetic.

CosIng definition: Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose Stearoxy Ether is the reaction product of stearyl glycidyl ether and Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose

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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. 2HYDROXYPROPYL METHYLCELLULOSE STEAROXY ETHER. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3HYDROXYPROPYL METHYLCELLULOSE STEAROXY ETHER. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=HYDROXYPROPYL%20METHYLCELLULOSE%20STEAROXY%20ETHER