Database/Emulsifying Surfactant/Steareth-10
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Steareth-10 natural?

Mostly not. Natural oleochemical stearyl alcohol is ethoxylated with 10 petrochemical ethylene-oxide units, giving roughly two-fifths natural mass.

INCI nameSteareth-10
CAS13149-86-5
FormulaC38H78O11 · 711.0 Da
FunctionEmulsifying Surfactant · Refatting
FeedstockMade by ethoxylating stearyl alcohol, typically from vegetable…

How we scored it

Stearyl alcohol C18H38O 270.5 Da (oleochemical) + 10 EO 440.5 Da (petrochemical) → 270.5/711.0 = 0.38.
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 stearyl alcohol, typically from vegetable or tallow fatty acid, with 10 moles ethylene oxide. Petrochemical stearyl alcohol also exists but is less common in cosmetics.

In plain English

An emulsifying, refatting ingredient made from plant or animal-fat-derived stearyl alcohol reacted with ethylene oxide. It helps blend oils and water and adds a light conditioning feel.

CosIng definition: Poly(Oxy-1,2-Ethanediyl), .alpha.-Octadecyl-.omega.-Hydroxy

Natural alternatives with the same function

Arachidic Acid 100% natural origin

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 Arachidyl Glucoside 100% natural origin

A gentle, sugar-based emulsifier used in creams and lotions to stabilize formulas without harsh surfactants. It's made from…

 Behenic Acid 100% natural origin

A long-chain fatty acid from vegetable oil, used to thicken and stabilise creams and conditioners. It is extracted…

 C10-16 Alkyl Glucoside 100% natural origin

A mild, sugar-based cleansing and emulsifying surfactant made by combining plant-derived fatty alcohols (coconut/palm) with glucose from starch.…

 C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside 100% natural origin

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 C18-36 Acid 100% natural origin

A blend of long-chain plant fatty acids used as a mild cleanser and thickener, giving body and a…

Structure

2D structure of Steareth-10

2-[2-[2-[2-[2-[2-[2-[2-[2-(2-octadecoxyethoxy)ethoxy]ethoxy]ethoxy]ethoxy]ethoxy]ethoxy]ethoxy]ethoxy]ethanol

PubChem CID 11707463 ↗

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. 2Steareth-10. PubChem CID 11707463. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3STEARETH-10. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4STEARETH-10. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=STEARETH-10