Database/Cleansing/PEG-200 Hydrogenated Glyceryl Palmate
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is PEG-200 Hydrogenated Glyceryl Palmate natural?

Mostly not. The palm-derived glyceryl ester core is tiny relative to the 200 ethoxylate units, which are entirely petrochemical.

INCI namePEG-200 Hydrogenated Glyceryl Palmate
FunctionCleansing · Emulsifying Surfactant
FeedstockMade from hydrogenated palm fatty acid glyceryl monoester…

How we scored it

Base hydrogenated palm glyceryl monoester ~358 Da (natural) + 200x44=8800 Da ethylene oxide (petrochemical) = 9158 Da; 358/9158=0.04.
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

Made from hydrogenated palm fatty acid glyceryl monoester reacted with a very high proportion (200 mol) of petrochemical ethylene oxide. No non-ethoxylated equivalent serves the same solubilising function.

In plain English

A cleansing and solubilising ingredient made from a small amount of palm oil combined heavily with a petrochemical component.

CosIng definition: Fatty acids, hydrogenated palm oil, 1,2,3-propanetriol monoesters, ethoxylated (200 mol EO average molar ratio)

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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-200 HYDROGENATED GLYCERYL PALMATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3PEG-200 HYDROGENATED GLYCERYL PALMATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=PEG-200%20HYDROGENATED%20GLYCERYL%20PALMATE