PEG-9 ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is used mainly as a water-soluble humectant and solvent, helping dissolve other materials and improve slip in water-based formulas. It can also support texture and mild viscosity control.
What does PEG-9 do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is used mainly as a water-soluble humectant and solvent, helping dissolve other materials and improve slip in water-based formulas. It can also support texture and mild viscosity control.
Is PEG-9 clean?
From a clean-beauty perspective, this ingredient has friction because it is made by ethoxylation and may require controls for trace ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxane residues. It is generally low-irritation when purified, but many clean frameworks restrict or exclude this class.
Is PEG-9 sustainable?
This material is typically petrochemical-derived rather than renewable. It is water-soluble and lower-molecular-weight grades are more biodegradable than larger polymers, but its fossil feedstock and ethoxylated manufacturing route weaken its sustainability profile.
Is PEG-9 COSMOS-approved?
This ingredient is not permitted in COSMOS-natural or COSMOS-organic formulas because ethoxylated materials are outside the standard. Its Green Chemistry fit is limited by nonrenewable feedstocks and residue-management needs, even though it is efficient and broadly compatible in formulation.
How does PEG-9 work chemically?
The molecule is a short-chain, water-soluble polyether with an average chain length of about nine oxyethylene units, giving it strong hydrogen-bonding and solvent properties. It is typically stable across common cosmetic pH ranges, mixes readily with water, and needs supplier controls for residual ethoxylation byproducts.
Last updated 2026-05-13