Database/Emulsifying Surfactant/PEG-4 Distearate
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is PEG-4 Distearate natural?

Mostly. Stearic acid is oleochemical/natural; the short 4-unit ethylene oxide backbone is petrochemical.

INCI namePEG-4 Distearate
CAS9005-08-7
FunctionEmulsifying Surfactant
FeedstockDiester of stearic acid (vegetable oil or tallow)…

How we scored it

2×stearoyl(535) natural; PEG-4 backbone(194-2H=192) petrochemical; supplied formula mismatched, recalculated for n=4; 535/727=0.74.
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

Diester of stearic acid (vegetable oil or tallow) with tetraethylene glycol made from petrochemical ethylene oxide.

In plain English

An emulsifier made from stearic acid, a natural fatty acid from vegetable oils or animal fat, joined to a short synthetic petrochemical glycol chain.

CosIng definition: Poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl), .alpha.-(1-oxooctadecyl)-.omega.-[(1-oxooctadecyl)oxy]- (4 mol EO average molar ratio)

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 C10-16 Alkyl Glucoside 100% natural origin

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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-4 DISTEARATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3PEG-4 DISTEARATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=PEG-4%20DISTEARATE