Database/Emulsifying Surfactant/Steareth-8
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Steareth-8 natural?

Mostly not. The natural stearyl-alcohol chain is diluted by 8 petrochemical ethylene-oxide units; the ratio falls as EO count rises.

INCI nameSteareth-8
FunctionEmulsifying Surfactant · Cleansing Surfactant
FeedstockMade by ethoxylating oleochemical stearyl alcohol with petrochemical…

How we scored it

Stearyl alcohol 270.5 Da (natural) + 8x EO 352.4 Da (petrochemical) = 622.9 Da. 270.5/622.9 = 0.43. Formula pattern confirmed against given Steareth-7/20 data.
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 oleochemical stearyl alcohol with petrochemical ethylene oxide. Same fatty-alcohol feedstock as other Steareth grades, differing only in EO number.

In plain English

Steareth-8 helps cleanse and blend water and oil in a formula. It's made from a fat-derived fatty alcohol combined with ethylene oxide, a petroleum-based building block.

CosIng definition: Poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl), .alpha.-octadecyl-.omega.-hydroxy- (8 mol EO average molar ratio)

Natural alternatives with the same function

Arachidic Acid 100% natural origin

A waxy fatty acid from peanut and other vegetable oils, used to thicken formulas and give creams and…

 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

A mild, sugar-based cleansing ingredient made from coconut or palm fatty alcohols and glucose; helps cleanse skin and…

 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…

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-8. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3STEARETH-8. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=STEARETH-8