PEG-45M has a Natural Origin Index (NOI) of 0.00 (scale 0–1) per ISO 16128. High-molecular-weight polyethylene glycol; the entire chain is built from petrochemical ethylene oxide units. An NOI of 0.00 means 0% of its molecular mass is traceable to a natural, renewable source.

Is PEG-45M natural? NOI 0.00 — Is That Natural?

How we scored it

Poly(ethylene oxide) homopolymer, ~45,000 EO units; every repeat unit is ethylene oxide, petrochemical by this site's convention.

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

Manufactured by polymerizing ethylene oxide, derived from petroleum- or natural-gas-based ethylene, to a very high average molecular weight. No natural-origin production route is used commercially.

In plain English

A very high molecular weight polyethylene glycol used as a thickener and humectant. It is a long synthetic chain built entirely from petroleum-derived ethylene oxide.

CosIng definition: Poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl), .alpha.-hydro-.omega.-hydroxy- (45,000 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-45M. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
3PEG-45M. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=PEG-45M