PEG-90M ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is primarily a viscosity builder, binder, film-former, and slip agent in water-based formulas. It helps thicken gels, improve spread, stabilize foam, and give products a smoother feel.
What does PEG-90M do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is primarily a viscosity builder, binder, film-former, and slip agent in water-based formulas. It helps thicken gels, improve spread, stabilize foam, and give products a smoother feel.
Is PEG-90M clean?
From a clean-beauty perspective, this ingredient has friction because it is made through ethoxylation, a process associated with possible residual ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxane if purification is not well controlled. Its very large molecular size limits skin penetration, so irritation is typically low in finished formulas.
Is PEG-90M sustainable?
This material is generally petroleum-derived and highly processed, with limited renewable-feedstock alignment. It is water-soluble, but high-molecular-weight synthetic polymers are not typically considered readily biodegradable.
Is PEG-90M COSMOS-approved?
This ingredient is not permitted under COSMOS natural or organic standards because it is a synthetic ethoxylated petrochemical polymer. From a Green Chemistry lens, its weak points are nonrenewable sourcing, multi-step processing, and limited ready biodegradability.
How does PEG-90M work chemically?
The molecule is a very high-molecular-weight, nonionic, water-soluble polyether, often used at low levels around 0.05% to 1% depending on the desired viscosity and film feel. It is stable across common cosmetic pH ranges, hydrates slowly, and is usually dispersed with strong mixing or pre-wetting to reduce clumping.
Last updated 2026-05-15