How we scored it
Where it comes from
Alkali cellulose from wood pulp or cotton is etherified with methyl chloride and ethyl chloride. Both alkyl halides are treated as petrochemical, with no commercial bio-based route.
In plain English
A modified cellulose that thickens water-based products, forms thin films and holds ingredients together. It is made by attaching small methyl and ethyl groups to plant cellulose, which lets it dissolve in water.
CosIng definition: Cellulose, ethyl methyl ether
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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.
- 2METHYL ETHYLCELLULOSE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
- 3METHYL ETHYLCELLULOSE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=METHYL%20ETHYLCELLULOSE