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

Is PEG-20 Palmitate natural?

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

INCI namePEG-20 Palmitate
CAS9004-94-8
FunctionEmulsifying Surfactant · Cleansing Surfactant
FeedstockPalm palmitic acid esterified or ethoxylated with about…

How we scored it

PEG-20 Palmitate: palmitoyl fragment C16H31O 239.4 Da (natural) of palmitic acid 256.4 Da + 20 EO 881.1 Da = 1137.5 Da → 0.21. 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

Palm palmitic acid esterified or ethoxylated with about 20 mol of ethylene oxide.

In plain English

An emulsifier made from palm fatty acid joined to a long petroleum-derived ethylene oxide chain, used to blend oil and water in cosmetic formulas.

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