Database/Emulsifying Surfactant/Isosteareth-25
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Isosteareth-25 natural?

Mostly not. Isostearyl alcohol from oleic-acid-derived isostearic acid (oleochemical) is heavily diluted by twenty-five petrochemical ethylene-oxide units.

INCI nameIsosteareth-25
CAS52292-17-8
FunctionEmulsifying Surfactant · Cleansing Surfactant
FeedstockIsosteareth-25 is made by ethoxylating isostearyl alcohol, typically…

How we scored it

Isostearyl alcohol C18H38O 270.5 Da (natural) + 25xEO 1101.25 Da (petrochemical) = 1371.75 Da; 270.5/1371.75 = 0.20. Supplied formula (C22H46O3, 358.6) matches only ~2 EO, contradicts the stated 25, disregarded
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

Isosteareth-25 is made by ethoxylating isostearyl alcohol, typically derived from oleochemical isostearic acid, with 25 moles of petrochemical ethylene oxide. A fully petrochemical isostearyl route also exists as a minor alternative.

In plain English

A cleansing and emulsifying ingredient made from a branched fatty alcohol, typically derived from vegetable oil, combined with 25 units of a petroleum-derived chemical. Most of its weight comes from the petroleum part.

CosIng definition: Polyoxyethylene (25) Isostearyl Ether

Natural alternatives with the same function

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-25. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3ISOSTEARETH-25. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=ISOSTEARETH-25