How we scored it
Triglycerol (from natural glycerin) esterified with stearic acid (oleochemical fatty acid); both natural, ester bond costs only water. 1.0.
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 by esterifying triglycerol, built from plant-derived glycerin, with stearic acid from vegetable oil. Both feedstocks are oleochemical, giving a fully natural-origin ester.
In plain English
An emulsifier that helps blend oil and water in creams and lotions. Made by combining plant-derived glycerin, as triglycerol, with stearic acid, a fatty acid from vegetable oil.
CosIng definition: Ester of triglycerol and stearic acid
Structure
[3-[3-(2,3-dihydroxypropoxy)-2-hydroxypropoxy]-2-hydroxypropyl] octadecanoate
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.
- 2Polyglyceryl-3 Stearate. PubChem CID 9957863. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
- 3POLYGLYCERYL-3 STEARATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
- 4POLYGLYCERYL-3 STEARATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=POLYGLYCERYL-3%20STEARATE