Ceteareth-30 ●
TL;DR. This ingredient primarily acts as a nonionic emulsifier and solubilizer, helping oil and water phases stay combined in creams, lotions, and cleansers. It can also improve texture and dispersion of waxy or oily materials.
What does Ceteareth-30 do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient primarily acts as a nonionic emulsifier and solubilizer, helping oil and water phases stay combined in creams, lotions, and cleansers. It can also improve texture and dispersion of waxy or oily materials.
Is Ceteareth-30 clean?
Clean-beauty programs often flag this ingredient because its manufacture can leave trace ethoxylation byproducts such as 1,4-dioxane if purification is not well controlled. It is generally low in skin irritation at typical use levels, but it has more standards friction than simple fatty alcohols or plant-derived emulsifiers.
Is Ceteareth-30 sustainable?
This material is typically made from long-chain fatty alcohols that may be plant- or petro-derived, combined with petrochemical-derived oxide units. It is expected to biodegrade better than silicone polymers, but its feedstock mix and processing route weaken its sustainability profile.
Is Ceteareth-30 COSMOS-approved?
It is not permitted in COSMOS-natural or COSMOS-organic formulas because the manufacturing route uses ethoxylation, which the standard does not allow for this type of cosmetic ingredient. From a Green Chemistry view, it delivers useful performance at low levels but scores lower on renewable sourcing and process-preference criteria.
How does Ceteareth-30 work chemically?
The molecule is a nonionic surfactant with a fatty-alcohol hydrophobe and an average chain of about 30 oxyethylene units, giving it high water affinity and strong oil-in-water emulsifying behavior. It is typically used around 0.5% to 5% depending on formula type, remains functional across a broad pH range, and can be paired with fatty alcohols or waxes to build stable lamellar emulsions.
Last updated 2026-08-16