Database/Film Forming/PEG-150/Stearyl Alcohol/SMDI Copolymer
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is PEG-150/Stearyl Alcohol/SMDI Copolymer natural?

Mostly not. PEG chain and SMDI diisocyanate linker are petrochemical; stearyl alcohol end-caps are oleochemical.

INCI namePEG-150/Stearyl Alcohol/SMDI Copolymer
FunctionFilm Forming · Viscosity Controlling
FeedstockA urethane-linked thickener made by joining PEG-150 (petrochemical)…

How we scored it

Assumed repeat unit: PEG-150 (6608Da) + 2 SMDI (524Da) petrochemical; 2 stearyl alcohol caps (2x270=541Da) natural -> 541/7673 = 0.07
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

A urethane-linked thickener made by joining PEG-150 (petrochemical) to stearyl alcohol (vegetable/tallow-derived) end-caps via SMDI, a petrochemical diisocyanate. The PEG and isocyanate dominate the mass.

In plain English

A synthetic thickener for creams and gels, built mainly from petroleum-derived ethylene oxide with a small amount of vegetable-derived fatty alcohol at each end.

CosIng definition: Poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl), .alpha.-hydro-.omega.-hydroxy-, polymer with 1,1'-methylenebis[4-isocyanatocyclohexane] and 1-octadecanol (150 mol EO avergae 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-150/STEARYL ALCOHOL/SMDI COPOLYMER. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3PEG-150/STEARYL ALCOHOL/SMDI COPOLYMER. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=PEG-150/STEARYL%20ALCOHOL/SMDI%20COPOLYMER