Decyl Polyglucoside ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is a nonionic cleansing surfactant that helps lift oil and soil, build foam, and improve mildness in rinse-off formulas. It is commonly used in facial cleansers, body washes, shampoos, and baby products.
What does Decyl Polyglucoside do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is a nonionic cleansing surfactant that helps lift oil and soil, build foam, and improve mildness in rinse-off formulas. It is commonly used in facial cleansers, body washes, shampoos, and baby products.
Is Decyl Polyglucoside clean?
From a clean-beauty perspective, this ingredient is generally well accepted because it is mild, non-sensitizing for most users, and not a common restricted-list concern. Like many surfactants, it can cause eye sting or dryness at higher use levels, especially in simple high-foam systems.
Is Decyl Polyglucoside sustainable?
This material is typically made from glucose and plant-derived fatty alcohols, often from coconut, palm kernel, or mixed vegetable sources. It is readily biodegradable, with the main sustainability caveat being traceability and certification of any palm-derived feedstock.
Is Decyl Polyglucoside COSMOS-approved?
It is permitted under COSMOS-natural and COSMOS-organic formulations when compliant grades and sourcing are used. It fits Green Chemistry well through renewable feedstocks, high biodegradability, and a favorable aquatic profile compared with many older synthetic surfactants.
How does Decyl Polyglucoside work chemically?
The molecule pairs a glucose-derived hydrophilic head with a saturated fatty-alcohol tail, creating a nonionic surfactant that is compatible with anionic, amphoteric, and cationic systems. It is commonly used at about 1 to 10% active matter in cleansing products, performs across roughly pH 4 to 12, and is often blended with amphoteric surfactants to reduce irritation and tune foam.
Last updated 2026-05-16