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

Is PEG-30 Stearate natural?

Mostly not. The stearic acid chain is palm/tallow-derived; the long 30-unit ethylene-oxide chain is petrochemical and dominates the molecule's mass.

INCI namePEG-30 Stearate
CAS9004-99-3
FormulaC20H40O3 · 328.5 Da
FunctionEmulsifying Surfactant · Cleansing Surfactant
FeedstockPEG-30 Stearate esterifies vegetable or tallow-derived stearic acid…

How we scored it

Stearoyl (natural, C18H35O = 267.5 Da) + triacontaethylene glycol chain (petrochemical, 1338.6 Da). 267.5/1606.1 = 0.17.
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

PEG-30 Stearate esterifies vegetable or tallow-derived stearic acid onto a long, 30-unit petrochemical ethylene oxide chain. The extensive ethoxylation makes petrochemical mass the majority of the molecule.

In plain English

An emulsifier and mild cleansing agent used in washes and creams. Only about a sixth of its weight comes from natural fatty acid; the rest is a long petroleum-derived glycol chain.

CosIng definition: Poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl), .alpha.-(1-oxooctadecyl)-.omega.-hydroxy- (30 mol EO average molar ratio)

Natural alternatives with the same function

Arachidic Acid 100% natural origin

A waxy fatty acid from peanut and other vegetable oils, used to thicken formulas and give creams and…

 Arachidyl Glucoside 100% natural origin

A gentle, sugar-based emulsifier used in creams and lotions to stabilize formulas without harsh surfactants. It's made from…

 Behenic Acid 100% natural origin

A long-chain fatty acid from vegetable oil, used to thicken and stabilise creams and conditioners. It is extracted…

 C10-16 Alkyl Glucoside 100% natural origin

A mild, sugar-based cleansing and emulsifying surfactant made by combining plant-derived fatty alcohols (coconut/palm) with glucose from starch.…

 C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside 100% natural origin

A mild, sugar-based cleansing ingredient made from coconut or palm fatty alcohols and glucose; helps cleanse skin and…

 C18-36 Acid 100% natural origin

A blend of long-chain plant fatty acids used as a mild cleanser and thickener, giving body and a…

Structure

2D structure of PEG-30 Stearate

2-hydroxyethyl octadecanoate

PubChem CID 24762 ↗

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 Stearate. PubChem CID 24762. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3PEG-30 STEARATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4PEG-30 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%20STEARATE