Peg-30 Glyceryl Stearate

TL;DR. This ingredient is a nonionic emulsifier and solubilizer that helps oil and water phases stay evenly mixed. It is mainly used in creams, lotions, cleansers, and makeup removers for stable oil-in-water systems.

What does Peg-30 Glyceryl Stearate do in a cosmetic formula?

This ingredient is a nonionic emulsifier and solubilizer that helps oil and water phases stay evenly mixed. It is mainly used in creams, lotions, cleansers, and makeup removers for stable oil-in-water systems.

Is Peg-30 Glyceryl Stearate clean?

From a clean-beauty perspective, it carries friction because it is made through ethoxylation, a process associated with trace residual impurities if purification is not well controlled. It is generally considered low-irritation in finished formulas, but many clean standards flag this material class for processing-related reasons.

Is Peg-30 Glyceryl Stearate sustainable?

This material is typically made from a fatty raw material combined with petrochemical-derived ethoxy units. It is not a strong sustainability fit because the ethoxylated portion is less aligned with renewable sourcing and can have slower environmental breakdown than simpler plant-derived emulsifiers.

Is Peg-30 Glyceryl Stearate COSMOS-approved?

It is not permitted under COSMOS-natural or COSMOS-organic standards because ethoxylated ingredients are outside the allowed chemistry. From a Green Chemistry lens, its performance is useful, but its petrochemical input and processing route weaken its alignment.

How does Peg-30 Glyceryl Stearate work chemically?

The molecule is a nonionic fatty ester with a lipid anchor and an average of about 30 ethoxy units, giving it high water compatibility and oil-in-water emulsifying behavior. Typical use is often around 1 to 5 percent depending on the emulsion system, and it is generally stable across the mildly acidic to neutral pH range common in skin care.

Last updated 2026-05-13