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

Is PEG-5 Sorbitan Isostearate natural?

Mostly. Natural sugar-alcohol and oleochemical fatty-acid core dominates over a short petrochemical ethoxylate chain.

INCI namePEG-5 Sorbitan Isostearate
CAS66794-58-9
FunctionEmulsifying Surfactant
FeedstockMade from sorbitol esterified with isostearic acid, an…

How we scored it

Sorbitan+isostearic acid core 430.6 Da (natural, oleochemical) + 5 EO x44=220 Da petrochemical; 430.6/650.6=0.66.
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 from sorbitol esterified with isostearic acid, an oleochemical fatty acid from vegetable oil, then lightly ethoxylated with petrochemical ethylene oxide.

In plain English

A plant-oil-derived emulsifier made from sorbitol and isostearic acid, lightly modified with ethylene oxide to blend oil and water in creams.

CosIng definition: Sorbitan, monoisooctadecanoate, poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl) derivatives (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 SORBITAN ISOSTEARATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3PEG-5 SORBITAN ISOSTEARATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=PEG-5%20SORBITAN%20ISOSTEARATE