Database/Cleansing Surfactant/PEG-120 Glyceryl Stearate
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is PEG-120 Glyceryl Stearate natural?

Mostly not. Glycerin and stearic acid come from vegetable fats, while the 120 ethylene oxide units are petrochemical.

INCI namePEG-120 Glyceryl Stearate
FunctionCleansing Surfactant
FeedstockDominant route ethoxylates glycerin with 120 mol ethylene…

How we scored it

Glyceryl stearate 358.6 Da natural; 120 EO x 44.05 = 5286.4 Da petrochemical; 358.6/5644.9 = 0.06.
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

Dominant route ethoxylates glycerin with 120 mol ethylene oxide and esterifies it with vegetable stearic acid. No natural-origin alternative exists for the polyoxyethylene chains.

In plain English

A thickening, mild cleansing and emulsifying agent often used in shampoos and body washes to add body and help oils and water mix. It is glyceryl stearate attached to long polyethylene glycol chains made from petrochemical ethylene oxide.

CosIng definition: Poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl), .alpha.,.alpha.',.alpha.''-1,2,3-propanetriyltris-.omega.-hydroxy-, monooctadecanoate (120 mol EO average molar ratio)

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 C10-16 Alkyl Glucoside 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. 2PEG-120 GLYCERYL STEARATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3PEG-120 GLYCERYL STEARATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=PEG-120%20GLYCERYL%20STEARATE