Database/Emulsifying Surfactant/PEG-23 Oleate
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is PEG-23 Oleate natural?

Mostly not. Polyethylene glycol ester of oleic acid. The fatty-acid chain is natural; the 23-unit ethylene-oxide chain is petrochemical.

INCI namePEG-23 Oleate
CAS9004-96-0
FunctionEmulsifying Surfactant · Cleansing Surfactant
FeedstockVegetable oleic acid esterified or ethoxylated with about…

How we scored it

PEG-23 Oleate: oleoyl fragment C18H33O 265.5 Da (natural) of oleic acid 282.5 Da + 23 EO 1013.2 Da = 1295.7 Da → 0.20. 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

Vegetable oleic acid esterified or ethoxylated with about 23 mol of ethylene oxide.

In plain English

An ester of oleic acid (a plant or animal fatty acid) with a longer petroleum-derived polyethylene glycol (PEG) chain. Used as an emulsifier and cleansing ingredient.

CosIng definition: Poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl), .alpha.-(1-oxo-9-octadecenyl)-.omega.-hydroxy-, (Z)- (23 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-23 OLEATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3PEG-23 OLEATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=PEG-23%20OLEATE