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

Is PEG-2 Stearate natural?

Mostly. Ester of natural stearic acid with a short, 2-unit petrochemical ethylene oxide chain.

INCI namePEG-2 Stearate
CAS106-11-6
FormulaC22H44O4 · 372.6 Da
FunctionEmulsifying Surfactant · Opacifying
FeedstockMade by esterifying stearic acid, typically from vegetable…

How we scored it

Stearoyl fragment C18H35O 267.5 Da (oleochemical, natural) + diethylene-glycol fragment C4H9O3 105.1 Da (2 mol ethylene oxide, petrochemical). 267.5/372.6 = 0.72.
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

Made by esterifying stearic acid, typically from vegetable oil, with diethylene glycol, a 2 mol ethylene oxide adduct. Ethylene oxide is a petrochemical feedstock.

In plain English

An emulsifier made from stearic acid, a vegetable fatty acid, reacted with a small amount of ethylene oxide, a petroleum-derived chemical.

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

Natural alternatives with the same function

Structure

2D structure of PEG-2 Stearate

2-(2-hydroxyethoxy)ethyl octadecanoate

PubChem CID 7788 ↗

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 Stearate. PubChem CID 7788. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3PEG-2 STEARATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4PEG-2 STEARATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=PEG-2%20STEARATE