A polyethylene glycol ether of stearyl alcohol, used as an emulsifier and cleansing surfactant.
What it is
Steareth-10 is a polyethylene glycol ether of stearyl alcohol with an average of 10 ethylene oxide units. CosIng lists it as an emulsifying surfactant, a cleansing surfactant and a refatting ingredient.
Where it is used
Found in creams, lotions, hair care products 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.
The number 10 is an average; the material is a mixture of molecules with different chain lengths. The INCI name does not reveal whether the stearyl alcohol comes from plant or other sources.
Functions
- Surfactant – emulsifying
- Helping suspensions or dispersions of liquids in a second liquid by reducing the surface tension of the substances to be emulsified.
- Refatting
- Replenishing the lipids of the hair or of the top layers of the skin.
- 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.