How we scored it
Where it comes from
Made by ethoxylating oleochemical stearyl alcohol with ethylene oxide to a high average of 80 mol EO, matching the CosIng description. Ethylene oxide is petrochemical; no natural route exists.
In plain English
A cleansing ingredient made by reacting stearyl alcohol, from vegetable oil, with a very large amount of ethylene oxide, a petroleum-derived chemical. Used as a cleansing surfactant in wash-off products.
CosIng definition: Poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl), .alpha.-octadecyl-.omega.-hydroxy- (80 mol EO average molar ratio)
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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-80. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
- 3STEARETH-80. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=STEARETH-80