How we scored it
Where it comes from
Made by ethoxylating sorbitan (from natural sorbitol) with 40 mol ethylene oxide, then esterifying with isostearic acid derived from vegetable oil. The large ethylene-oxide content is petrochemical.
In plain English
An emulsifier that helps blend oil and water in creams. Built from a natural sugar alcohol and vegetable fatty acid joined to a large lab-made chain.
CosIng definition: 1,4-Anhydro-D-glucitol, diisooctadecanoates, ethoxylated (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 SORBITAN DIISOSTEARATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
- 3PEG-40 SORBITAN DIISOSTEARATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=PEG-40%20SORBITAN%20DIISOSTEARATE