Database/Emulsifying Surfactant/Isosteareth-3
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Isosteareth-3 natural?

Mostly. Oleochemical isostearyl alcohol is natural; the 3-unit ethylene oxide chain is petrochemical.

INCI nameIsosteareth-3
CAS52292-17-8
FormulaC22H46O3 · 358.6 Da
FunctionEmulsifying Surfactant · Cleansing Surfactant
FeedstockMade by ethoxylating isostearyl alcohol, typically derived from…

How we scored it

Isostearyl-O fragment (natural, oleochemical) 269.5 Da + 3 EO chain (petrochemical) 133.2 Da = 402.6 Da; 269.5/402.6 = 0.67. Used INCI-name EO count (3); supplied formula/mw (C22H46O3, 358.6) matches Isosteareth-2, not -3.
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

Made by ethoxylating isostearyl alcohol, typically derived from vegetable oleic acid, with petrochemical ethylene oxide. The fatty alcohol portion is renewable; the EO chain is not.

In plain English

An emulsifier made from a branched, plant-oil-derived fatty alcohol combined with a short petrochemical-derived ethylene oxide chain.

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

Natural alternatives with the same function

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 Behenic Acid 100% natural origin

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 C10-16 Alkyl Glucoside 100% natural origin

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 C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside 100% natural origin

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 C18-36 Acid 100% natural origin

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Structure

2D structure of Isosteareth-3

2-[2-(16-methylheptadecoxy)ethoxy]ethanol

PubChem CID 10991978 ↗

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-3. PubChem CID 10991978. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3ISOSTEARETH-3. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4ISOSTEARETH-3. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=ISOSTEARETH-3