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

Is PEG-12 Laurate natural?

Mostly not. The coconut/palm lauric acid chain is a small fraction of the molecule; the 12-unit ethylene-oxide chain dominates the mass.

INCI namePEG-12 Laurate
CAS9004-81-3
FormulaC14H28O3 · 244.37 Da
FunctionEmulsifying Surfactant
FeedstockPEG-12 Laurate esterifies coconut/palm lauric acid onto a…

How we scored it

Lauroyl (natural, 183.3 Da) + dodecaethylene glycol chain (petrochemical, 545.6 Da). 183.3/729.0 = 0.25.
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

PEG-12 Laurate esterifies coconut/palm lauric acid onto a 12-unit petrochemical ethylene oxide chain. The long glycol chain means most of the molecule's mass is petrochemical.

In plain English

An emulsifier used to blend oil and water in cosmetic formulas. About a quarter of its weight is coconut/palm fatty acid; three-quarters is a petroleum-derived glycol chain.

CosIng definition: Poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl), .alpha.-(1-oxododecyl)-.omega.-hydroxy- (12 mol EO average molar ratio)

Natural alternatives with the same function

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 Arachidyl Glucoside 100% natural origin

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 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 PEG-12 Laurate

2-hydroxyethyl dodecanoate

PubChem CID 62699 ↗

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 Laurate. PubChem CID 62699. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3PEG-12 LAURATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4PEG-12 LAURATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=PEG-12%20LAURATE