Database/Emulsifying Surfactant/PEG-15 Cocoate
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is PEG-15 Cocoate natural?

Mostly not. The fatty-acid portion comes from coconut oil; the 15-unit polyethylene glycol chain is made from petrochemical ethylene oxide.

INCI namePEG-15 Cocoate
CAS61791-29-5
FunctionEmulsifying Surfactant
FeedstockThe fatty acid is derived from coconut oil…

How we scored it

Lauroyl (coco fatty acid proxy, natural, 183.3 Da) + PEG-15 diol minus H (petrochemical, 677.8 Da); 183.3/861.1 = 0.21.
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

The fatty acid is derived from coconut oil (cocoate, lauric-dominant blend). It is ethoxylated with 15 moles of petrochemical ethylene oxide to form the ester.

In plain English

An emulsifier made from coconut-derived fatty acids reacted extensively with ethylene oxide, helping blend oil and water in formulas.

CosIng definition: Fatty acids, coco, ethoxylated (15 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-15 COCOATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3PEG-15 COCOATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=PEG-15%20COCOATE