How we scored it
Where it comes from
Made by ethoxylating oleochemical stearyl alcohol with ethylene oxide to an average of 40 mol EO, per the INCI name. Ethylene oxide is petrochemical; no natural ethoxylation route exists.
In plain English
A cleansing and gelling ingredient made by reacting stearyl alcohol, from vegetable oil, with ethylene oxide, a petroleum-derived chemical. Used to thicken and stabilize wash-off products.
CosIng definition: Poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl), .alpha.-octadecyl-.omega.-hydroxy
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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-40. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
- 3STEARETH-40. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=STEARETH-40