How we scored it
Where it comes from
Made by ethoxylating sorbitan (from natural sorbitol) with 30 mol ethylene oxide, then esterifying with oleic acid from vegetable oil. The high ethylene-oxide content is petrochemical.
In plain English
An emulsifier that blends oil and water in creams and lotions. It's built from a natural sugar alcohol and vegetable oil fatty acid, joined to a lab-made chain.
CosIng definition: 1,4-Anhydro-D-glucitol, poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl) derivatives, tetraesters with 9-(Z)-octadecenoic acid (30 mol EO average molar ratio)
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References
- 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.
- 2PEG-30 SORBITAN TETRAOLEATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
- 3PEG-30 SORBITAN TETRAOLEATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=PEG-30%20SORBITAN%20TETRAOLEATE