A polyethylene glycol ester of stearic acid, used as an emulsifier and humectant.
What it is
PEG-8 stearate is the polyethylene glycol ester of stearic acid, with an average of 8 ethylene oxide units. CosIng lists it as an emulsifying surfactant, humectant and cleansing surfactant.
Where it is used
Found in creams, lotions and other emulsions.
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 8 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.
- Humectant
- Retaining and/or preserving the moisture in a product during use.
- 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.