Database/Humectant/PEG-3 Stearate
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is PEG-3 Stearate natural?

Mostly. Polyethylene glycol ester of stearic acid. The fatty-acid chain is natural; the 3-unit ethylene-oxide chain is petrochemical.

INCI namePEG-3 Stearate
CAS9004-99-3
FormulaC24H48O5 · 416.6 Da
FunctionHumectant
FeedstockVegetable or tallow stearic acid esterified or ethoxylated…

How we scored it

PEG-3 Stearate: stearoyl fragment C18H35O 267.5 Da (natural) of stearic acid 284.5 Da + 3 EO 132.2 Da = 416.6 Da → 0.64. 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 or tallow stearic acid esterified or ethoxylated with about 3 mol of ethylene oxide.

In plain English

A moisturising ingredient made from vegetable or animal fatty acid joined to a short petroleum-derived ethylene oxide chain. Helps soften skin and hold in moisture.

CosIng definition: Poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl), .alpha.-(1-oxooctadecyl)-.omega.-hydroxy- (3 mol EO average molar ratio)

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Structure

2D structure of PEG-3 Stearate

2-[2-(2-hydroxyethoxy)ethoxy]ethyl octadecanoate

PubChem CID 82478 ↗

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-3 Stearate. PubChem CID 82478. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3PEG-3 STEARATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4PEG-3 STEARATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=PEG-3%20STEARATE