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

Is PEG-20 Myristate natural?

Mostly not. Polyethylene glycol ester of myristic acid. The fatty-acid chain is natural; the 20-unit ethylene-oxide chain is petrochemical.

INCI namePEG-20 Myristate
FunctionEmulsifying Surfactant · Cleansing Surfactant
FeedstockCoconut or palm-kernel myristic acid esterified or ethoxylated…

How we scored it

PEG-20 Myristate: myristoyl fragment C14H27O 211.4 Da (natural) of myristic acid 228.4 Da + 20 EO 881.1 Da = 1109.4 Da → 0.19. The ester oxygen and chain-end hydrogen go with the PEG chain, as for PEG-8 Laurate.
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

Coconut or palm-kernel myristic acid esterified or ethoxylated with about 20 mol of ethylene oxide.

In plain English

A cleansing and emulsifying ingredient made from coconut or palm-kernel fatty acid joined to a longer petroleum-derived ethylene oxide chain. It helps blend oil and water.

CosIng definition: Tetradecanoic acid, ethoxylated (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 MYRISTATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3PEG-20 MYRISTATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=PEG-20%20MYRISTATE