PEG/PPG-20/15 Dimethicone ●
TL;DR. This ingredient primarily acts as a silicone-based emulsifier, dispersant, and conditioning agent, helping water, oils, pigments, and powders spread evenly while adding slip.
What does PEG/PPG-20/15 Dimethicone do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient primarily acts as a silicone-based emulsifier, dispersant, and conditioning agent, helping water, oils, pigments, and powders spread evenly while adding slip.
Is PEG/PPG-20/15 Dimethicone clean?
From a clean-beauty perspective, it faces friction because many standards flag silicone polymers and ethoxylated materials, mainly over environmental persistence and possible residual impurities such as 1,4-dioxane. It is generally low in skin irritation when properly purified, but it is not a clean-standard favorite.
Is PEG/PPG-20/15 Dimethicone sustainable?
This material is synthetically made from mineral and petrochemical feedstocks and is not considered readily biodegradable. Its main sustainability concern is environmental persistence rather than acute user tolerance.
Is PEG/PPG-20/15 Dimethicone COSMOS-approved?
It is not permitted under COSMOS-natural or COSMOS-organic standards because it is a synthetic silicone-derived, ethoxylated material. Its fit with Green Chemistry is weak due to non-renewable feedstocks, persistence, and reliance on reactive alkoxylation chemistry.
How does PEG/PPG-20/15 Dimethicone work chemically?
This material is an organosilicon polymer grafted with ethylene oxide and propylene oxide chains, giving it both oil-compatible and water-dispersible character. It is typically used at low single-digit levels in emulsions, sunscreens, makeup, and hair products, and purification quality matters because ethoxylated inputs can leave trace residuals.
Last updated 2026-08-16