Glycerth-26 ●
TL;DR. This ingredient primarily functions as a humectant, helping formulas bind water and improve skin feel. It can also support slip, mild solvent performance, and compatibility in water-based systems.
What does Glycerth-26 do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient primarily functions as a humectant, helping formulas bind water and improve skin feel. It can also support slip, mild solvent performance, and compatibility in water-based systems.
Is Glycerth-26 clean?
From a clean-beauty perspective, it is usually well tolerated on skin but often flagged because it is made through ethoxylation. The main quality concern is control of residual ethoxylation byproducts, which reputable suppliers manage through purification and specification limits.
Is Glycerth-26 sustainable?
This material is typically synthetic and relies partly on petrochemical feedstocks rather than renewable sourcing. It is water soluble and not expected to bioaccumulate, but its biodegradability profile is less aligned with simple plant-derived humectants.
Is Glycerth-26 COSMOS-approved?
It is not permitted under COSMOS-natural or COSMOS-organic standards because ethoxylated materials are outside the standard’s allowed chemistry. Its Green Chemistry fit is limited by petrochemical input and processing-residue concerns, despite generally low skin irritation and good formulation efficiency.
How does Glycerth-26 work chemically?
The molecule is a glycerin-based nonionic polyether with an average of about 26 oxyethylene units, which gives strong water solubility and humectant behavior. It is commonly used in leave-on and rinse-off products at low to moderate percentages, is broadly pH-stable in cosmetic ranges, and pairs well with water, glycols, and many surfactant systems.
Last updated 2026-05-14