How we scored it
Where it comes from
Manufactured by polymerising petrochemical ethylene oxide onto a water initiator to the target chain length. No natural-origin route exists for unmodified PEG.
In plain English
A synthetic binder, stabiliser and solvent made from petroleum-derived ethylene oxide chains. It helps hold formulations together and keeps them stable.
CosIng definition: Poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl), .alpha.-hydro-.omega.-hydroxy- (400 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-400. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
- 3PEG-400. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=PEG-400