Database/Emulsifying Surfactant/Oleth-4
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Oleth-4 natural?

Mostly. Oleyl alcohol fragment is natural fatty alcohol; the 4 ethylene-oxide units are petrochemical by this site's convention.

INCI nameOleth-4
CAS9004-98-2
FormulaC26H52O5 · 444.7 Da
FunctionEmulsifying Surfactant
FeedstockOleyl alcohol, from oleochemical (olive/sunflower/tallow) sources, is reacted…

How we scored it

Oleyl alcohol 268.5 Da (natural) + 4 EO 176.2 Da (petrochemical) = 444.7 Da; 268.5/444.7 = 0.60. Matches given formula.
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

Oleyl alcohol, from oleochemical (olive/sunflower/tallow) sources, is reacted with about 4 moles of petrochemical ethylene oxide. A minor petrochemical Ziegler/oxo alcohol supply route also exists.

In plain English

An emulsifier used in creams and lotions to blend oil and water. Made from a natural fatty alcohol reacted with a small amount of ethylene oxide, a petroleum-derived building block.

CosIng definition: Poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl), .alpha.-9-(Z)-octadecenyl-.omega.-hydroxy (4 mol EO average molar ratio)

Natural alternatives with the same function

Arachidic Acid 100% natural origin

A waxy fatty acid from peanut and other vegetable oils, used to thicken formulas and give creams and…

 Arachidyl Glucoside 100% natural origin

A gentle, sugar-based emulsifier used in creams and lotions to stabilize formulas without harsh surfactants. It's made from…

 Behenic Acid 100% natural origin

A long-chain fatty acid from vegetable oil, used to thicken and stabilise creams and conditioners. It is extracted…

 C10-16 Alkyl Glucoside 100% natural origin

A mild, sugar-based cleansing and emulsifying surfactant made by combining plant-derived fatty alcohols (coconut/palm) with glucose from starch.…

 C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside 100% natural origin

A mild, sugar-based cleansing ingredient made from coconut or palm fatty alcohols and glucose; helps cleanse skin and…

 C18-36 Acid 100% natural origin

A blend of long-chain plant fatty acids used as a mild cleanser and thickener, giving body and a…

Structure

2D structure of Oleth-4

2-[2-[2-(2-octadec-9-enoxyethoxy)ethoxy]ethoxy]ethanol

PubChem CID 53439791 ↗

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. 2Oleth-4. PubChem CID 53439791. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3OLETH-4. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4OLETH-4. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=OLETH-4