Database/Emulsifying Surfactant/PEG-20 Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is PEG-20 Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate natural?

Mostly not. The glucose-and-stearate core is natural, but the added 20-mole ethylene oxide chain, needed for water solubility, is petrochemical and dominates the mass.

INCI namePEG-20 Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate
CAS68389-70-8
FunctionEmulsifying Surfactant
FeedstockBuilt from the same glucose-and-stearic-acid backbone as Methyl…

How we scored it

Methyl glucose sesquistearate natural core (579) unchanged; +20 EO × 44 = 881 petrochemical added; 579/1475 = 0.39.
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

Built from the same glucose-and-stearic-acid backbone as Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, then ethoxylated with about 20 moles of petrochemical ethylene oxide to improve water solubility. The added PEG chain outweighs the natural core.

In plain English

An emulsifier that helps water and oil blend in creams and lotions. Built from the same glucose-and-stearic-acid ingredient as Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, but with a long petroleum-derived ethylene oxide chain added to make it more water-soluble. Part plant-derived, part petrochemical.

CosIng definition: Poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl), .alpha.-hydro-.omega.-hydroxy-, ether with methyl .beta.-d-glucopyranoside (4:1), octadecanoate (2:3) (20 mol EO average molar ratio)

Natural alternatives with the same function

Arachidic Acid 100% natural origin

A waxy fatty acid from peanut and other vegetable oils, used to thicken formulas and give creams and…

 Arachidyl Glucoside 100% natural origin

A gentle, sugar-based emulsifier used in creams and lotions to stabilize formulas without harsh surfactants. It's made from…

 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…

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