Database/Emulsifying Surfactant/PEG-10 Stearate
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is PEG-10 Stearate natural?

Mostly not. Natural stearic-acid chain is diluted by ten petrochemical ethylene-oxide units, which dominate the final mass.

INCI namePEG-10 Stearate
CAS9004-99-3
FunctionEmulsifying Surfactant · Cleansing Surfactant
FeedstockOleochemical stearic acid esterified with polyethylene glycol made…

How we scored it

Given formula (C20H40O3) matches PEG-1; description confirms 10 EO used instead. Stearoyl (natural) 267.5 Da / [284.5+10×44.05=725.0] Da total = 0.37
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

Oleochemical stearic acid esterified with polyethylene glycol made from petrochemical ethylene oxide. The stearic acid portion is renewable; the PEG-10 chain has no natural equivalent.

In plain English

An emulsifier used to blend oil and water phases in creams. A natural fatty acid is combined with a longer chain of petroleum-derived ethylene oxide, making it mostly synthetic by weight.

CosIng definition: Poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl), .alpha.-(1-oxooctadecyl)-.omega.-hydroxy- (10 mol EO average molar ratio)

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. 2PEG-10 STEARATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3PEG-10 STEARATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=PEG-10%20STEARATE