Database/Emulsifying Surfactant/PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate natural?

Mostly not. Stearic acid arms are oleochemical fat-derived; the pentaerythritol core and long ethylene-oxide chain are petrochemical.

INCI namePEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate
FunctionEmulsifying Surfactant
FeedstockStearic acid is typically derived from palm or…

How we scored it

Pentaerythritol+150EO backbone ~6740 Da (petrochemical) + 4 stearic acid ~1138 Da -68 Da ester water = 1070 Da natural; 1070/7810 = 0.14.
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

Stearic acid is typically derived from palm or tallow fat, esterified onto a petrochemical pentaerythritol core that has been heavily ethoxylated with fossil-derived ethylene oxide. No natural route exists for the ethoxylated core.

In plain English

An emulsifier that blends oil and water in creams and lotions. Made by attaching stearic acid, usually from vegetable or animal fat, to a petrochemical alcohol core extensively reacted with ethylene oxide.

CosIng definition: 2,2-Bis(hydroxymethyl)-1,3-propanediol, ethoxylated, tetraoctadecanoates (150 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-150 PENTAERYTHRITYL TETRASTEARATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3PEG-150 PENTAERYTHRITYL TETRASTEARATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=PEG-150%20PENTAERYTHRITYL%20TETRASTEARATE