PEG-100 ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is a synthetic water-soluble binder, humectant, and viscosity modifier. In formulas, it helps hold water, improve slip, and give creams, gels, or sticks a smoother, more cohesive texture.
What does PEG-100 do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is a synthetic water-soluble binder, humectant, and viscosity modifier. In formulas, it helps hold water, improve slip, and give creams, gels, or sticks a smoother, more cohesive texture.
Is PEG-100 clean?
From a clean-beauty perspective, this material has significant restricted-list friction because it is ethoxylated and may require controls for trace manufacturing residues such as 1,4-dioxane and unreacted ethoxylation byproducts. It is generally low-irritation at cosmetic use levels, but its production route is the main concern.
Is PEG-100 sustainable?
This ingredient is typically petroleum-derived and made through synthetic ethoxylation rather than direct plant processing. It is water-soluble, but higher-molecular-weight grades biodegrade less readily than simpler, naturally derived humectants.
Is PEG-100 COSMOS-approved?
This material is not permitted in COSMOS-natural or COSMOS-organic products because ethoxylated ingredients are outside the standard. Its fit with Green Chemistry is weak due to petrochemical feedstocks, reactive processing, and residue-management requirements.
How does PEG-100 work chemically?
The molecule is a high-molecular-weight, water-soluble polyether built from repeating oxyethylene units, with the 100-unit grade having an average molecular weight around 4,400 Da. It is stable across the usual cosmetic pH range, compatible with many aqueous systems, and used where a nonvolatile, waxy, water-soluble structuring or moisture-binding material is needed.
Last updated 2026-08-19