Database/Viscosity Controlling/Oxidized Polyethylene
100% petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Oxidized Polyethylene natural?

No. Polyethylene backbone derives from petrochemical ethylene; oxidation adds no natural mass; this site's convention scores ethylene-based waxes as fully petroleum.

INCI nameOxidized Polyethylene
CAS68441-17-8
FunctionViscosity Controlling
FeedstockMade by partial oxidation of low-molecular-weight polyethylene wax,…

How we scored it

Ethene homopolymer, oxidized; entire chain is petrochemical polyethylene (naphtha/ethane cracking). No natural fragment. 0/MW = 0.0.
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 partial oxidation of low-molecular-weight polyethylene wax, itself polymerized from ethylene gas cracked from naphtha or ethane. No commercially significant bio-based ethylene route is used for cosmetic-grade oxidized PE wax.

In plain English

A waxy thickener that helps control how thick or gel-like a product feels. It's made from polyethylene plastic, the same family as packaging plastic, chemically tweaked so it disperses in creams and lotions.

CosIng definition: Ethene, homopolymer, oxidized

Natural alternatives with the same function

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 Algin 100% natural origin

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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. 2OXIDIZED POLYETHYLENE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3OXIDIZED POLYETHYLENE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=OXIDIZED%20POLYETHYLENE