Database/Emulsifying Surfactant/Polyglyceryl-3 Hydroxylauryl Ether
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Polyglyceryl-3 Hydroxylauryl Ether natural?

Mostly. Triglycerol carries most of the mass and is natural; the C12 hydroxyalkyl chain is added as an epoxide made from a petrochemical alpha-olefin, not from a fatty alcohol, so it is scored petrochemical. Same assumption as Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate.

INCI namePolyglyceryl-3 Hydroxylauryl Ether
FunctionEmulsifying Surfactant
FeedstockPolyglycerol-3 (oleochemical glycerol) reacted with 1,2-epoxydodecane from petrochemical…

How we scored it

Ether C21H44O8 424.6 Da: triglycerol fragment 239.2 Da (glycerol from vegetable oils, natural) + 2-hydroxydodecyl fragment C12H25O 185.3 Da from 1,2-epoxydodecane, itself made from ethylene-oligomer 1-dodecene (petrochemical) → 239.2/424.6 = 0.56.
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

Polyglycerol-3 (oleochemical glycerol) reacted with 1,2-epoxydodecane from petrochemical 1-dodecene.

In plain English

An emulsifier made by linking glycerin units to a coconut/palm-derived fatty alcohol. Both parts usually come from plant fats, though the fatty-alcohol source can vary by supplier.

CosIng definition: 1,2,3-Propanetriol, homopolymer, 2-hydroxydodecyl ethers (1:1) (3 mol glycerol average molar ratio)

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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. 2POLYGLYCERYL-3 HYDROXYLAURYL ETHER. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3POLYGLYCERYL-3 HYDROXYLAURYL ETHER. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=POLYGLYCERYL-3%20HYDROXYLAURYL%20ETHER