How we scored it
Where it comes from
Made by esterifying both ends of polyethylene glycol (8 mol EO, from petrochemical ethylene oxide) with stearic acid, typically from vegetable or animal fat. No alternative bio-based PEG route is in significant commercial use.
In plain English
A wax-like emulsifier made by attaching two stearic acid (fatty acid) chains to a short polyethylene glycol (PEG) backbone. It helps blend oil and water in creams and lotions.
CosIng definition: Poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl), .alpha.-(1-oxooctadecyl)-.omega.-[(1-oxooctadecyl)oxy]- (8 mol EO average molar ratio)
Natural alternatives with the same function
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C10-16 Alkyl Glucoside 100% natural originA mild, sugar-based cleansing and emulsifying surfactant made by combining plant-derived fatty alcohols (coconut/palm) with glucose from starch.…
C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside 100% natural originA mild, sugar-based cleansing ingredient made from coconut or palm fatty alcohols and glucose; helps cleanse skin and…
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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-8 DISTEARATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
- 3PEG-8 DISTEARATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=PEG-8%20DISTEARATE