Glyereth-26 ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is primarily a humectant and water-soluble conditioning agent. It helps bind water, improve slip, and give skin and hair formulas a softer feel.
What does Glyereth-26 do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is primarily a humectant and water-soluble conditioning agent. It helps bind water, improve slip, and give skin and hair formulas a softer feel.
Is Glyereth-26 clean?
From a clean-beauty perspective, it is often flagged because it is made by ethoxylation, which can leave trace 1,4-dioxane or ethylene oxide residues if purification is not well controlled. It is generally low-irritation for most users, but its processing profile creates clean-standard friction.
Is Glyereth-26 sustainable?
This material is typically made from a glycerin backbone reacted with petroleum-derived ethylene oxide. Its water solubility is high, but its biodegradation profile is less favorable than simple plant-derived humectants.
Is Glyereth-26 COSMOS-approved?
It is not permitted under COSMOS-natural or COSMOS-organic because ethoxylated materials are excluded by the standard. Its Green Chemistry fit is limited by petrochemical input, residue-control requirements, and weaker biodegradability compared with simpler renewable alternatives.
How does Glyereth-26 work chemically?
The molecule is a highly water-soluble ethoxylated polyether built on a glycerin core, with an average of about 26 oxyethylene units. It is commonly used around 1 to 10 percent, is stable across typical cosmetic pH ranges, and co-formulates well with water-based gels, creams, cleansers, and hair products.
Last updated 2026-05-14