Database/Emulsifying Surfactant/Sorbeth-6 Hexastearate
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Sorbeth-6 Hexastearate natural?

Mostly. Sugar-alcohol core and six stearic-acid esters are oleochemical; the six ethylene-oxide units linking them are petrochemical.

INCI nameSorbeth-6 Hexastearate
CAS66828-20-4
FunctionEmulsifying Surfactant
FeedstockSorbitan/glucitol core from plant sugar, hexaesterified with oleochemical…

How we scored it

Glucitol core ~164Da + 6x stearoyl ~267Da=1602Da natural (oleochemical ester); 6x ethylene oxide ~44Da=264Da petrochemical; 1766/2030=0.87
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

Sorbitan/glucitol core from plant sugar, hexaesterified with oleochemical stearic acid, then ethoxylated with synthetic ethylene oxide to build the polyether arms. No common fully-natural alternative route.

In plain English

An emulsifier that helps oil and water blend in creams. Made from a plant-sugar backbone joined to stearic acid (a common fat/oil acid) and built out with a small amount of synthetic ethylene oxide.

CosIng definition: 1,4-Anhydro-D-glucitol, poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl) derivatives, hexaesters with octadecanoic acid (6 mol EO average molar ratio)

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 C10-16 Alkyl Glucoside 100% natural origin

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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. 2SORBETH-6 HEXASTEARATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3SORBETH-6 HEXASTEARATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=SORBETH-6%20HEXASTEARATE