PEG-6 ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is a water-soluble solvent and humectant used to dissolve actives, improve slip, and reduce formula drying. It can also help solubilize small amounts of water-compatible fragrance or conditioning materials.
What does PEG-6 do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is a water-soluble solvent and humectant used to dissolve actives, improve slip, and reduce formula drying. It can also help solubilize small amounts of water-compatible fragrance or conditioning materials.
Is PEG-6 clean?
Its main clean-standard friction is ethoxylation, which can leave trace ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxane unless tightly purified and tested. Many stricter retailer lists flag this class, while finished-product irritation potential is usually low at typical use levels.
Is PEG-6 sustainable?
This material is typically petroleum-derived, although bio-based feedstock routes are technically possible. It is water-soluble and more biodegradable at this low molecular size than larger versions, but its fossil sourcing and manufacturing chemistry weaken its sustainability profile.
Is PEG-6 COSMOS-approved?
This ingredient is not permitted under COSMOS-natural or COSMOS-organic standards because ethoxylated materials are outside the standard’s allowed chemistry. From a Green Chemistry view, it is useful and low-irritation, but it is compromised by petrochemical sourcing and impurity-control requirements.
How does PEG-6 work chemically?
The molecule is a short-chain, highly hydrophilic polyether with an average chain length of about six repeating ether units, giving it strong water miscibility and solvent character. It is generally stable across common cosmetic pH ranges, compatible with many surfactant and aqueous systems, and oxidation is not a major formulation issue compared with unsaturated oils.
Last updated 2026-05-13