Octoxynol-9 ●
TL;DR. This ingredient functions mainly as a nonionic surfactant and solubilizer, helping disperse oils, fragrance components, and other low-water-solubility materials in aqueous formulas.
What does Octoxynol-9 do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient functions mainly as a nonionic surfactant and solubilizer, helping disperse oils, fragrance components, and other low-water-solubility materials in aqueous formulas.
Is Octoxynol-9 clean?
Clean-beauty frameworks commonly flag it because it is ethoxylated, which brings residue scrutiny for 1,4-dioxane and ethylene oxide if purification is poor. Its phenolic breakdown profile also places it on many restricted-list radars.
Is Octoxynol-9 sustainable?
This material is generally petroleum-derived and is not a strong fit for readily biodegradable, low-persistence formulation goals. In wastewater, related breakdown products can be persistent in aquatic environments, which drives environmental concern.
Is Octoxynol-9 COSMOS-approved?
It is not permitted under COSMOS-natural or COSMOS-organic standards. From a Green Chemistry view, it scores poorly because it relies on petrochemical feedstocks, ethoxylation, and a persistence-prone degradation profile.
How does Octoxynol-9 work chemically?
The molecule is an ethoxylated phenolic nonionic surfactant with an aromatic hydrophobe and an average of about nine oxyethylene units, giving it high water dispersibility and an HLB around the low-to-mid teens. It is typically used at low percentages as a solubilizer or wetting agent, and it is generally compatible across a broad pH range, though formulas must control ethoxylation residues through supplier specifications.
Last updated 2026-05-13