How we scored it
Where it comes from
Made by ethoxylating stearyl alcohol, typically from vegetable (palm/coconut) or tallow fatty acids, with about 12 moles of petrochemical ethylene oxide.
In plain English
An emulsifier made from a fatty alcohol, from vegetable oil or tallow, reacted with a synthetic thickening chemical to help mix water and oil.
CosIng definition: Steareth-12 is the polyethylene glycol ether of Stearyl Alcohol.
Natural alternatives with the same function
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Behenic Acid 100% natural originA long-chain fatty acid from vegetable oil, used to thicken and stabilise creams and conditioners. It is extracted…
C10-16 Alkyl Glucoside 100% natural originA 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 originA mild, sugar-based cleansing ingredient made from coconut or palm fatty alcohols and glucose; helps cleanse skin and…
C18-36 Acid 100% natural originA blend of long-chain plant fatty acids used as a mild cleanser and thickener, giving body and a…
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.
- 2STEARETH-12. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
- 3STEARETH-12. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=STEARETH-12