Database/Emulsifying Surfactant/Polysorbate 85
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Polysorbate 85 natural?

Mostly. Natural sorbitan-oleate ester backbone diluted by petrochemical polyoxyethylene chains added for water-solubility; the EO fraction is roughly half the mass.

INCI namePolysorbate 85
CAS9005-70-3
FunctionEmulsifying Surfactant · Cleansing Surfactant
FeedstockPolysorbate 85 is made by esterifying sorbitan (from…

How we scored it

Sorbitan trioleate core (sorbitol+3 oleic acid, natural) ~958 Da + ~20 mol ethylene oxide (petrochemical) ~880 Da; total ~1838 Da; 958/1838 = 0.52.
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.

How it’s made

Acid-catalysed ring closure of sorbitol (intramolecular SN2). Sorbitan is the ring at the core of every sorbitan ester and polysorbate. Each curved arrow moves one electron pair, and the film ends on the scores for the whole family.

Where it comes from

Polysorbate 85 is made by esterifying sorbitan (from sorbitol) with oleic acid, then reacting the product with about 20 moles of ethylene oxide. The oleochemical ester portion is natural; the ethoxylate chain is petrochemical.

In plain English

An emulsifier that blends oil and water in creams and lotions. It's made from plant-derived sorbitol and oleic acid combined with a petroleum-based ingredient that helps it dissolve in water.

CosIng definition: Sorbitan, tri-9-octadecenoate, poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl) derivs., (Z,Z,Z)-

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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. 2POLYSORBATE 85. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3POLYSORBATE 85. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=POLYSORBATE%2085