Database/Emulsifying Surfactant/PEG-4 Laurate
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is PEG-4 Laurate natural?

Mostly not. The fatty lauric acid chain is coconut/palm-derived; the 4-unit ethylene-oxide glycol chain is petrochemical.

INCI namePEG-4 Laurate
CAS9004-81-3
FormulaC14H28O3 · 244.37 Da
FunctionEmulsifying Surfactant · Cleansing Surfactant
FeedstockPEG-4 Laurate is made by reacting lauric acid,…

How we scored it

Lauroyl (natural, C12H23O = 183.3 Da) + tetraethylene glycol chain (petrochemical EO, 193.2 Da). 183.3/376.5 = 0.49.
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-4 Laurate is made by reacting lauric acid, typically from coconut or palm kernel oil, with tetraethylene glycol derived from petrochemical ethylene oxide. Roughly half the molecule's mass comes from each source.

In plain English

A mild surfactant that helps cleanse and emulsify in shampoos and washes. About half of it comes from coconut/palm fatty acid, and half from a petroleum-derived glycol chain.

CosIng definition: Poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl), .alpha.-(1-oxododecyl)-.omega.-hydroxy- (4 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-4 Laurate

2-hydroxyethyl dodecanoate

PubChem CID 62699 ↗

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 Laurate. PubChem CID 62699. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3PEG-4 LAURATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4PEG-4 LAURATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=PEG-4%20LAURATE