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

Is PEG-5 Phytosterol natural?

Mostly. Plant sterol backbone is natural; the ethylene oxide chain is petrochemical; the addition reaction keeps all EO mass in the product.

INCI namePEG-5 Phytosterol
FunctionEmulsifying Surfactant
FeedstockPhytosterols from vegetable oil (soy or pine) ethoxylated…

How we scored it

Phytosterol (vegetable, ~415Da) + 5 EO (petrochemical addition, 5x44=220Da), no water loss. 415/635=0.65.
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

Phytosterols from vegetable oil (soy or pine) ethoxylated with 5 mol ethylene oxide. No natural substitute exists for the ethoxylate chain.

In plain English

An emulsifier made from plant sterols, from vegetable oils, reacted with a small amount of ethylene oxide, a petrochemical. Helps blend oil and water in formulations.

CosIng definition: (3-.beta.)-Sigmast-5-en-3-ol, ethoxylated (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 PHYTOSTEROL. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3PEG-5 PHYTOSTEROL. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=PEG-5%20PHYTOSTEROL