Database/Emulsifying Surfactant/PEG-25 Glyceryl Trioleate
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is PEG-25 Glyceryl Trioleate natural?

Mostly not. Glycerol-oleic triester core is natural; petrochemical ethylene oxide chain (25 mol, split across three arms) is nearly half the mass.

INCI namePEG-25 Glyceryl Trioleate
CAS68958-64-5
FunctionEmulsifying Surfactant
FeedstockGlycerol esterified with oleic acid and ethoxylated with…

How we scored it

Est. triolein core (glycerol 92 + 3×oleic acid 282, each ester −18 water = 885, natural) + 25×EO (44 ea = 1101, petrochemical). 885/1987 ≈ 0.45. Supplied formula (MW 260) contradicts description, ignored.
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

Glycerol esterified with oleic acid and ethoxylated with about 25 mol ethylene oxide overall. The attached formula/IUPAC data describe an unrelated small molecule and were disregarded.

In plain English

An emulsifier made from glycerol and oleic acid, both plant-derived, joined to a petroleum-derived ethylene oxide chain. Close to half synthetic by weight.

CosIng definition: Poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl), .alpha.,.alpha.',.alpha.''-1,2,3-propanetriyltris-.omega.-[(1-oxo-9-octadecenyl)oxy]-, (Z,Z,Z)- (25 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-25 GLYCERYL TRIOLEATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3PEG-25 GLYCERYL TRIOLEATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=PEG-25%20GLYCERYL%20TRIOLEATE