How we scored it
Where it comes from
Isostearic acid (from oleic acid dimerisation/isomerisation) is reacted with about 40 moles of petrochemical ethylene oxide. The long PEG chain makes petrochemical mass dominant despite the natural fatty-acid core.
In plain English
An emulsifier that helps mix oil and water in creams and cleansers. It's made from a plant/animal-derived fatty acid joined to a long chain of lab-made ethylene oxide units.
CosIng definition: Poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl), .alpha.-(1-oxoisooctadecyl)-.omega.-hydroxy- (40 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-40 ISOSTEARATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
- 3PEG-40 ISOSTEARATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=PEG-40%20ISOSTEARATE