INCI name

POLYSORBATE 80

Polysorbate 80

Denaturant Surfactant – emulsifying Surfactant – cleansingreviewed

An emulsifier and solubiliser.

What it is

Polysorbate 80 is a surfactant made from sorbitol, oleic acid and ethylene oxide. It helps oil and water mix in creams and lotions.

Where it is used

Found in creams, lotions and cleansing products.

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.

Its role is technical; position on the list does not show concentration.

Functions

Denaturant: Rendering cosmetics unpalatable. Mostly added to cosmetics containing ethyl alcohol to make it unsuitable for ingestion.
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.

Products with this ingredient (437)

Check a full ingredient list