Database/Emulsifying Surfactant/PEG-12 Dioleate
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is PEG-12 Dioleate natural?

Mostly not. Oleic acid esters are oleochemical; the 12-unit ethylene-oxide spacer is petrochemical and is slightly over half the molecule's mass.

INCI namePEG-12 Dioleate
CAS9005-07-6
FunctionEmulsifying Surfactant
FeedstockMade by esterifying oleic acid (from vegetable or…

How we scored it

2x oleoyl (natural, 530.9 Da) + PEG-12 chain less 2H (petrochemical EO, 544.6 Da) = 1075.6 Da; 530.9/1075.6=0.49. Listed formula (591 Da) is the n=1 homolog; used text's stated 12 mol EO.
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 esterifying oleic acid (from vegetable or tallow fat) onto both ends of a PEG-12 chain built from petrochemical ethylene oxide. No commercially significant alternative route exists.

In plain English

An emulsifier that helps blend oil and water in creams and lotions. It is made by attaching a plant- or animal-fat fatty acid to a short synthetic polyethylene glycol chain.

CosIng definition: Poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl), .alpha.-(1-oxo-9-octadecenyl)-.omega.-[(1-oxo-9-octadecenyl)oxy]-, (Z,Z)- (12 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-12 DIOLEATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3PEG-12 DIOLEATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=PEG-12%20DIOLEATE