Database/Emulsifying Surfactant/PEG-2 Laurate
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is PEG-2 Laurate natural?

Mostly. Polyethylene glycol ester of lauric acid. The fatty-acid chain is natural; the 2-unit ethylene-oxide chain is petrochemical.

INCI namePEG-2 Laurate
CAS141-20-8
FormulaC16H32O4 · 288.42 Da
FunctionEmulsifying Surfactant
FeedstockLauric acid esterified or ethoxylated with about 2…

How we scored it

PEG-2 Laurate: lauroyl fragment C12H23O 183.3 Da (natural) of lauric acid 200.3 Da + 2 EO 88.1 Da = 288.4 Da → 0.64. The ester oxygen and chain-end hydrogen are counted with the PEG chain, as for PEG-8 Laurate and PEG-8 Oleate.
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

Lauric acid esterified or ethoxylated with about 2 mol of ethylene oxide.

In plain English

An emulsifier made from coconut/palm-derived lauric acid reacted with a small amount of ethylene oxide. Helps blend oil and water in creams and lotions.

CosIng definition: 2-(2-Hydroxyethoxy)ethyl dodecanoate

Natural alternatives with the same function

Arachidic Acid 100% natural origin

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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-2 Laurate

2-(2-hydroxyethoxy)ethyl dodecanoate

PubChem CID 67330 ↗

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-2 Laurate. PubChem CID 67330. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3PEG-2 LAURATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4PEG-2 LAURATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=PEG-2%20LAURATE