Ceteth-20 ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is a nonionic emulsifier and solubilizer used to help oil and water phases combine. It is common in creams, lotions, cleansers, and hair products where it improves dispersion of oils, scent components, and conditioning agents.
What does Ceteth-20 do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is a nonionic emulsifier and solubilizer used to help oil and water phases combine. It is common in creams, lotions, cleansers, and hair products where it improves dispersion of oils, scent components, and conditioning agents.
Is Ceteth-20 clean?
From a clean-beauty perspective, this ingredient has friction because it is made through ethoxylation and may require controls for residual 1,4-dioxane and unreacted processing materials. It is generally well tolerated in finished formulas, but many stricter standards flag ethoxylated materials.
Is Ceteth-20 sustainable?
This material is commonly made from a C16 fatty feedstock that may be plant-derived or petrochemical, combined with a petrochemical-derived reactive gas. Alcohol ethoxylate-type materials are typically biodegradable, but the processing route and feedstock traceability weaken its sustainability profile.
Is Ceteth-20 COSMOS-approved?
This ingredient is not permitted under COSMOS-natural or COSMOS-organic standards because ethoxylated materials are outside the allowed processing framework. It has partial Green Chemistry alignment through biodegradability, but petrochemical input and impurity-control needs are clear drawbacks.
How does Ceteth-20 work chemically?
The molecule is amphiphilic, with a saturated C16 hydrophobic chain linked to an average of about 20 oxyethylene units, giving it a high HLB value around 15 to 16. It is typically used at low single-digit percentages, is most stable in mildly acidic to neutral systems, and can be paired with lower-HLB emulsifiers to build more robust oil-in-water emulsions.
Last updated 2026-05-13