Database/Emulsifying Surfactant/PEG-30 Glyceryl Stearate
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is PEG-30 Glyceryl Stearate natural?

Mostly not. Glycerin and stearic acid come from vegetable fats, while the 30 ethylene oxide units come from petrochemical ethylene.

INCI namePEG-30 Glyceryl Stearate
FunctionEmulsifying Surfactant · Cleansing Surfactant
FeedstockDominant route ethoxylates vegetable-derived glycerin and esterifies it…

How we scored it

Glyceryl stearate 358.6 Da natural (glycerin + stearic acid - water); 30 EO x 44.05 = 1321.6 Da petrochemical; 358.6/1680.2 = 0.21. CosIng text says 10 mol EO; INCI name's 30 used.
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

Dominant route ethoxylates vegetable-derived glycerin and esterifies it with stearic acid from palm or other vegetable oils. No natural-origin route exists for the polyoxyethylene chains, which need ethylene oxide.

In plain English

An emulsifier and mild cleansing agent that helps oil and water mix into stable creams and lotions. It joins glyceryl stearate, from vegetable fat, to polyethylene glycol chains made from petrochemical ethylene oxide.

CosIng definition: Poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl), .alpha.,.alpha.',.alpha.''-1,2,3-propanetriyltris-.omega.-hydroxy-, monooctadecanoate (10mol 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-30 GLYCERYL STEARATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3PEG-30 GLYCERYL STEARATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=PEG-30%20GLYCERYL%20STEARATE