How we scored it
Sorbitan (dehydrated sorbitol, natural) diesterified with stearic acid x2 (natural C18 fatty acid). No petrochemical fragment. 1.0.
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
Where it comes from
Sorbitol from starch/glucose is dehydrated to sorbitan and esterified with stearic acid from palm oil or tallow. Standard oleochemical process.
In plain English
An ester of plant-sugar-derived sorbitan and stearic acid, used as an emollient and thickener.
CosIng definition: Sorbitan, dioctadecanoate
Structure
[(3R,4S)-4-hydroxy-2-[(1R)-2-hydroxy-1-octadecanoyloxyethyl]oxolan-3-yl] octadecanoate
References
- 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.
- 2Sorbitan Distearate. PubChem CID 169781. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
- 3SORBITAN DISTEARATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
- 4SORBITAN DISTEARATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=SORBITAN%20DISTEARATE