Database/Emollient/PPG-15 Stearyl Ether
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is PPG-15 Stearyl Ether natural?

Mostly not. The stearyl (C18 fatty alcohol) end is oleochemical while all 15 propoxy repeat units come from petrochemical propylene oxide.

INCI namePPG-15 Stearyl Ether
CAS25231-21-4
FunctionEmollient
FeedstockPPG-15 Stearyl Ether is made by reacting oleochemical…

How we scored it

Stearyl alcohol C18H38O 270 Da (natural, fully retained) + 15x propylene oxide C3H6O 58 Da units, 871 Da (petrochemical) = 270/1142 = 0.24.
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

PPG-15 Stearyl Ether is made by reacting oleochemical stearyl alcohol with 15 moles of petrochemical propylene oxide. There is no alternative natural route for the propoxylation step.

In plain English

An emollient that softens skin and adds a smooth, cushiony feel to creams and lotions. It's made by reacting a plant/animal-derived fatty alcohol with multiple units of a petrochemical building block called propylene oxide.

CosIng definition: Poly[oxy(methyl-1,2-ethanediyl)], .alpha.-octadecyl-.omega.-hydroxy-

Natural alternatives with the same function

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. 2PPG-15 STEARYL ETHER. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3PPG-15 STEARYL ETHER. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=PPG-15%20STEARYL%20ETHER