A polyethylene glycol ester of stearic acid, used as an emulsifier and cleansing surfactant.
What it is
PEG-32 stearate is the polyethylene glycol ester of stearic acid, a C18 saturated fatty acid, with an average of 32 ethylene oxide units. CosIng lists it as an emulsifying and cleansing surfactant.
Where it is used
Found in a small number of products, such as creams and lotions.
Limits of interpretation
The INCI list shows which ingredients are present, not how much of each. Above 1%, ingredients are listed in descending order of weight; below 1% the order is free.
The number 32 is an average; the material is a mixture of molecules with different chain lengths.
Functions
- Surfactant – emulsifying
- Helping suspensions or dispersions of liquids in a second liquid by reducing the surface tension of the substances to be emulsified.
- Surfactant – cleansing
- Wetting body surfaces, emulsifying or solubilizing oils, and suspending soil (generally, such ingredients contribute to the foaming and lathering properties of cleansing products).
EU regulation
This ingredient is not listed in the annexes of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 in the CosIng data.