Database/Emulsifying Surfactant/PPG-5-Ceteth-10 Phosphate
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is PPG-5-Ceteth-10 Phosphate natural?

Mostly not. Cetyl alcohol and the phosphate group are natural-origin; the propoxylate and ethoxylate chains are petrochemical oxide adducts.

INCI namePPG-5-Ceteth-10 Phosphate
FunctionEmulsifying Surfactant · Cleansing Surfactant
FeedstockMade by phosphorylating cetyl alcohol that has been…

How we scored it

Cetyl alcohol 242 (natural) + 5 PO 290 + 10 EO 441 (petrochemical) + phosphate ~80 (mineral, natural); natural 322/total 1053=0.31.
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 phosphorylating cetyl alcohol that has been reacted with propylene oxide and ethylene oxide, both petrochemical. Cetyl alcohol is typically oleochemical and the phosphate is mineral-derived.

In plain English

A cleansing and emulsifying ingredient built from a fatty alcohol combined with petroleum-derived ethylene and propylene oxide, plus a phosphate group. It helps mix oil and water and helps products rinse away.

CosIng definition: PPG-5-Ceteth-10 Phosphate is a complex mixture of esters of phosphoric acid and the polyoxypropylene, polyoxyethylene ether of cetyl alcohol (10 mol EO, 5 mol PO 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. 2PPG-5-CETETH-10 PHOSPHATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3PPG-5-CETETH-10 PHOSPHATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=PPG-5-CETETH-10%20PHOSPHATE