Database/Emulsifying Surfactant/Isosteareth-10
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Isosteareth-10 natural?

Mostly not. Isostearyl alcohol is a natural branched fatty alcohol; the 10 ethylene-oxide units implied by the '-10' name are petrochemical.

INCI nameIsosteareth-10
CAS52292-17-8
FunctionEmulsifying Surfactant · Cleansing Surfactant
FeedstockIsostearyl alcohol, an oleochemical branched-chain fatty alcohol, is…

How we scored it

Isostearyl alcohol C18H38O 270.5 Da (natural) + 10 EO 440.5 Da (petrochemical) = 711.0 Da; 270.5/711.0 = 0.38. Given formula/MW/IUPAC actually match a 2-EO homolog; recomputed from the '-10' name.
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

Isostearyl alcohol, an oleochemical branched-chain fatty alcohol, is ethoxylated with about 10 moles of petrochemical ethylene oxide per the INCI name. The supplied formula/MW/IUPAC in this record describe the 2-EO homolog, so the value was computed independently.

In plain English

An emulsifier used to blend oil and water in cosmetic formulas. Made from a branched natural fatty alcohol reacted with several units of ethylene oxide, a petroleum-based ingredient.

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

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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. 2ISOSTEARETH-10. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3ISOSTEARETH-10. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=ISOSTEARETH-10