Database/Cleansing Surfactant/PEG-20 Glyceryl Isostearate
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is PEG-20 Glyceryl Isostearate natural?

Mostly not. The glyceryl ester of isostearic acid is natural; the ethylene-oxide chain is petrochemical.

INCI namePEG-20 Glyceryl Isostearate
FunctionCleansing Surfactant
FeedstockGlyceryl isostearate ethoxylated with about 20 mol of…

How we scored it

PEG-20 Glyceryl Isostearate: glyceryl isostearate C21H42O4 358.6 Da (glycerin and isostearic acid, natural) + 20 EO 881.1 Da (petrochemical) = 1239.6 Da → 0.29. Same method as PEG-20 Glyceryl Stearate.
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

Glyceryl isostearate ethoxylated with about 20 mol of ethylene oxide.

In plain English

A gentle cleansing ingredient made from plant glycerin and a vegetable-oil fatty acid, reacted with ethylene oxide to make it water-soluble. Used in shampoos and cleansers to help water and oil mix so the product rinses clean.

CosIng definition: Poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl), .alpha.,.alpha.',.alpha.''-1,2,3-propanetriyltris-.omega.-hydroxy-, isooctadecanoate (20 mol EO average 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-20 GLYCERYL ISOSTEARATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3PEG-20 GLYCERYL ISOSTEARATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=PEG-20%20GLYCERYL%20ISOSTEARATE