Database/Emulsifying Surfactant/Sorbeth-30 Tetraoleate
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Sorbeth-30 Tetraoleate natural?

Mostly not. Sorbitol and vegetable oleic acid are natural; the 30 petrochemical ethylene-oxide units bring the value just under half.

INCI nameSorbeth-30 Tetraoleate
FunctionEmulsifying Surfactant
FeedstockMade by ethoxylating plant-derived sorbitol then esterifying four…

How we scored it

Sorbitol 182 Da + 30 EO 1321 Da form the polyether backbone, then 4 arms esterified with oleic acid (4×282 Da natural, less condensation water) → total ~2561 Da, natural (sorbitol+oleic acid) ~1244 Da → 0.49.
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 ethoxylating plant-derived sorbitol then esterifying four of the six arms with vegetable-sourced oleic acid. No formula/MW was supplied, so the mass balance is estimated.

In plain English

An emulsifier made by combining plant-derived sorbitol and vegetable oleic acid with petrochemical ethylene oxide units.

CosIng definition: Poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl), .alpha.-sorbitol-.omega.-hydroxy-, tetraoleate (30 mol EO average molar ratio)

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. 2SORBETH-30 TETRAOLEATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3SORBETH-30 TETRAOLEATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=SORBETH-30%20TETRAOLEATE