How we scored it
Polyglycerin-4 + lauric acid + sebacic acid as esters; all building blocks natural, condensation water lost, so 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
Dominant route polymerises glycerin to polyglycerin-4 and esterifies it with lauric acid and sebacic acid from castor oil cleavage. Synthetic sebacic acid exists but is a minor supply.
In plain English
A mild emulsifier and cleansing ingredient that helps oils and water mix and dissolves other ingredients. It is an ester of polyglycerin with lauric acid (coconut or palm kernel oil) and sebacic acid (castor oil).
CosIng definition: Polyglyceryl-4 Laurate/Sebacate is the monoester of Polyglycerin-4 and a mixture of lauric and sebacic acids
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-4 LAURATE/SEBACATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
- 3POLYGLYCERYL-4 LAURATE/SEBACATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=POLYGLYCERYL-4%20LAURATE/SEBACATE