Peg-45M ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is mainly used as a film-former, binder, and viscosity builder in water-based gels, toothpastes, styling products, and skin-care formulas. It helps add slip, body, and a smoother afterfeel without acting as a classic emulsifier.
What does Peg-45M do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is mainly used as a film-former, binder, and viscosity builder in water-based gels, toothpastes, styling products, and skin-care formulas. It helps add slip, body, and a smoother afterfeel without acting as a classic emulsifier.
Is Peg-45M clean?
From a clean-beauty perspective, it has friction because it is an ethoxylated synthetic polymer, so brands often scrutinize residual ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxane controls. It is generally low-irritation at cosmetic use levels when well purified, but it appears on many restricted or excluded lists tied to ethoxylation.
Is Peg-45M sustainable?
This material is typically made from petroleum-derived feedstocks and is not a renewable botanical input. Its high molecular weight and water solubility reduce bioaccumulation concern, but ready biodegradability is limited compared with simpler plant-derived humectants.
Is Peg-45M COSMOS-approved?
It is not permitted in COSMOS-natural or COSMOS-organic formulations because the standard does not allow this type of ethoxylated synthetic polymer. Its Green Chemistry fit is weak due to petrochemical sourcing, ethoxylation chemistry, and limited biodegradability, even though it can be efficient at low levels.
How does Peg-45M work chemically?
The molecule is a very high-molecular-weight, nonionic polyether built from repeating oxyethylene units, which gives water binding and solution thickening through chain entanglement. It is stable across typical cosmetic pH ranges, compatible with many nonionic and anionic systems, and is usually added slowly to water to prevent clumping.
Last updated 2026-05-13