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

Is PEG-30 Phytosterol natural?

Mostly not. Plant sterol (sitosterol-type) is natural; the 30-mole ethylene oxide chain added to solubilise it is petrochemical and dominates mass.

INCI namePEG-30 Phytosterol
FunctionEmulsifying Surfactant
FeedstockMade by ethoxylating phytosterols extracted from vegetable oils…

How we scored it

Phytosterol C29H48O ≈413 Da (natural) + 30 EO × 44 = 1320 Da (petrochemical). 413/1733 ≈ 0.24.
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

Made by ethoxylating phytosterols extracted from vegetable oils (e.g. soy or pine) with 30 moles of ethylene oxide to create a water-compatible emulsifier. No major natural alternative exists for the ethoxylation step.

In plain English

An emulsifier made from plant sterols (found in vegetable oils) reacted with ethylene oxide so it can blend oil and water in creams. Most of its weight comes from the petroleum-derived part of the molecule.

CosIng definition: (3-.beta.)-Sigmast-5-en-3-ol, ethoxylated (30 mol EO average molar ratio)

Natural alternatives with the same function

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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 PHYTOSTEROL. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3PEG-30 PHYTOSTEROL. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=PEG-30%20PHYTOSTEROL