Database/Emulsifying Surfactant/PEG-20 Corn Glycerides
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is PEG-20 Corn Glycerides natural?

Mostly not. Natural glycerol-fatty acid monoglyceride from corn oil; petrochemical ethylene oxide chain makes up most of the mass.

INCI namePEG-20 Corn Glycerides
FunctionEmulsifying Surfactant
FeedstockCorn oil mono/diglycerides ethoxylated with about 20 mol…

How we scored it

Corn-oil monoglyceride (glycerol 92 + linoleic acid 280 − water 18 = 355, natural) + 20×EO (881, petrochemical). 355/1236 ≈ 0.29.
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

Corn oil mono/diglycerides ethoxylated with about 20 mol ethylene oxide from petrochemical feedstock. The fatty glyceride core is natural, the PEG chain is not.

In plain English

An emulsifier for creams and lotions made from corn oil reacted with a petroleum-derived ethylene oxide chain. The corn part is natural; the PEG part is synthetic.

CosIng definition: Mono- and diglycerides, corn (Zea mays) oil, ethoxylated (20 mol EO average molar ratio)

Natural alternatives with the same function

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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-20 CORN GLYCERIDES. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3PEG-20 CORN GLYCERIDES. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=PEG-20%20CORN%20GLYCERIDES