Database/Emulsifying Surfactant/Pentaerythrityl Distearate
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Pentaerythrityl Distearate natural?

Mostly. Stearic acid is oleochemical and natural; the pentaerythritol backbone is synthesized from petrochemical formaldehyde and acetaldehyde.

INCI namePentaerythrityl Distearate
CAS13081-97-5
FormulaC41H80O6 · 669.1 Da
FunctionEmulsifying Surfactant
FeedstockThe stearic acid portion typically comes from vegetable…

How we scored it

Pentaerythritol core (petrochemical, 134 Da) + 2 stearoyl groups from stearic acid (natural, 535 Da) = 669 Da total; 535/669 ≈ 0.80.
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

The stearic acid portion typically comes from vegetable oils like palm or coconut, or from tallow. Pentaerythritol, the core alcohol it is attached to, is manufactured industrially from formaldehyde and acetaldehyde with no natural production route.

In plain English

An emulsifier that helps blend oil and water in creams and lotions. It's made by combining stearic acid (a fatty acid from plant oils or animal fat) with pentaerythritol, a small synthetic alcohol building block made in a chemical plant.

Natural alternatives with the same function

Arachidic Acid 100% natural origin

A waxy fatty acid from peanut and other vegetable oils, used to thicken formulas and give creams and…

 Arachidyl Glucoside 100% natural origin

A gentle, sugar-based emulsifier used in creams and lotions to stabilize formulas without harsh surfactants. It's made from…

 Behenic Acid 100% natural origin

A long-chain fatty acid from vegetable oil, used to thicken and stabilise creams and conditioners. It is extracted…

 C10-16 Alkyl Glucoside 100% natural origin

A 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 origin

A mild, sugar-based cleansing ingredient made from coconut or palm fatty alcohols and glucose; helps cleanse skin and…

 C18-36 Acid 100% natural origin

A blend of long-chain plant fatty acids used as a mild cleanser and thickener, giving body and a…

Structure

2D structure of Pentaerythrityl Distearate

[2,2-bis(hydroxymethyl)-3-octadecanoyloxypropyl] octadecanoate

PubChem CID 61575 ↗

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. 2Pentaerythrityl Distearate. PubChem CID 61575. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3PENTAERYTHRITYL DISTEARATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4PENTAERYTHRITYL DISTEARATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=PENTAERYTHRITYL%20DISTEARATE