Database/Emulsifying Surfactant/PEG-30 Hydrogenated Lanolin
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is PEG-30 Hydrogenated Lanolin natural?

Mostly not. Hydrogenated lanolin from sheep's wool is natural; the polyethylene glycol chain grafted onto it is petrochemical.

INCI namePEG-30 Hydrogenated Lanolin
CAS68648-27-1
FunctionEmulsifying Surfactant · Cleansing Surfactant
FeedstockWool-grease hydrogenated lanolin ethoxylated with about 30 mol…

How we scored it

Hydrogenated lanolin taken as about 400 Da per ethoxylated site (the value used for PEG-75 and PEG-40 Lanolin; natural) + 30×EO 1321.6 Da (petrochemical) = 1721.6 Da → 0.23.
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

Wool-grease hydrogenated lanolin ethoxylated with about 30 mol of ethylene oxide.

In plain English

Lanolin (wool grease) that has been hardened and then reacted with a petrochemical compound (ethylene oxide). Used as a cleansing and emulsifying ingredient in skin and hair products.

CosIng definition: Lanolin, hydrogenated, ethoxylated (30 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-30 HYDROGENATED LANOLIN. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3PEG-30 HYDROGENATED LANOLIN. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=PEG-30%20HYDROGENATED%20LANOLIN