PEG-90M has a Natural Origin Index (NOI) of 0.00 (scale 0–1) per ISO 16128. PEG-90M is pure polyethylene oxide made entirely from petrochemical ethylene oxide. An NOI of 0.00 means 0% of its molecular mass is traceable to a natural, renewable source.

Is PEG-90M natural? NOI 0.00 — Is That Natural?

How we scored it

Homopolymer of ethylene oxide repeat units (-CH2CH2O-); end groups negligible at ~90,000 EO units = 0.00

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

Manufactured by catalytic ring-opening polymerisation of ethylene oxide derived from petrochemical ethylene. No natural-origin production route exists.

In plain English

A very high molecular weight synthetic thickener made by joining thousands of ethylene oxide units into a long polymer chain. It helps bind ingredients and control thickness in creams and lotions. It comes entirely from petrochemical feedstock.

CosIng definition: Poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl), .alpha.-hydro-.omega.-hydroxy- (90,000 mol EO average molar ratio)

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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-90M. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
3PEG-90M. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=PEG-90M