Database/Emulsifying Surfactant/PEG-40 Glyceryl Cocoate
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is PEG-40 Glyceryl Cocoate natural?

Mostly not. Glycerin and coconut fatty acid are both natural; the forty ethylene-oxide units bridging and extending the ester are petrochemical.

INCI namePEG-40 Glyceryl Cocoate
FunctionEmulsifying Surfactant · Cleansing Surfactant
FeedstockGlycerin and coconut-derived lauric-type fatty acid are natural…

How we scored it

Glycerin(92)+coconut/lauric acid(183, natural)=275 Da; +40 EO x44.05=1762 Da petrochemical minus 1 Da ester H; total 2036 Da. 275/2036=0.14.
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

Glycerin and coconut-derived lauric-type fatty acid are natural oleochemical feedstocks, esterified and then reacted with petrochemical ethylene oxide. No significant alternative route exists.

In plain English

An emulsifying cleanser made from glycerin and coconut fatty acid, both plant-derived, reacted extensively with petroleum-based ethylene oxide to make it water-soluble.

CosIng definition: Poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl), .alpha.,.alpha.',.alpha.''-1,2,3-propanetriyltris-.omega.-hydroxy-, monococonut acid ester (40 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-40 GLYCERYL COCOATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3PEG-40 GLYCERYL COCOATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=PEG-40%20GLYCERYL%20COCOATE