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

Is PEG-5 Oleate natural?

Mostly. Oleic acid is a natural vegetable-oil fatty acid; the 5-mole ethylene oxide (PEG) chain is petrochemical.

INCI namePEG-5 Oleate
CAS9004-96-0
FunctionEmulsifying Surfactant
FeedstockMade by esterifying oleic acid, from vegetable oil,…

How we scored it

Given formula/IUPAC match a mono-ethylene-glycol ester, not '-5'; trusted description instead: oleic acid 282 (natural) + pentaethylene glycol 238 (petrochemical) = natural 265/total 503=0.53.
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

Made by esterifying oleic acid, from vegetable oil, with pentaethylene glycol derived from petrochemical ethylene oxide. The supplied formula corresponds to a 1-EO homolog, not the named 5-EO average.

In plain English

An emulsifying ingredient made from vegetable-oil-derived oleic acid joined to a short petroleum-derived glycol chain. It helps blend oil and water in creams and lotions.

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

Natural alternatives with the same function

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 C10-16 Alkyl Glucoside 100% natural origin

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