Database/Emulsifying Surfactant/PEG-5 Oleamide
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is PEG-5 Oleamide natural?

Mostly. Ethoxylated fatty amide. The fatty-acid chain is natural; the amide nitrogen and the ethylene-oxide chain are petrochemical.

INCI namePEG-5 Oleamide
CAS26027-37-2
FunctionEmulsifying Surfactant
FeedstockAmide of vegetable oleic acid ethoxylated with about…

How we scored it

PEG-5 Oleamide: oleoyl fragment C18H33O 265.5 Da (natural); amide NH 15.0 Da (synthetic ammonia) + 5×EO 220.3 Da + terminal H (petrochemical); total 501.7 Da → 0.53. Same approach as PEG-5 Cocamide.
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

Amide of vegetable oleic acid ethoxylated with about 5 mol of ethylene oxide.

In plain English

An emulsifier made from a natural plant-oil fatty acid reacted with ethylene oxide, used to help blend oil and water in creams.

CosIng definition: Poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl), .alpha.-[2-[(1-oxo-9-octadecenyl)amino]ethyl]-.omega.-hydroxy- (5 mol EO average molar ratio)

Natural alternatives with the same function

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-5 OLEAMIDE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3PEG-5 OLEAMIDE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=PEG-5%20OLEAMIDE