Polyglyceryl-3 Laurate ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is a mild nonionic surfactant and emulsifier, used to help oil and water mix and to support gentle cleansing or solubilization in water-based formulas.
What does Polyglyceryl-3 Laurate do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is a mild nonionic surfactant and emulsifier, used to help oil and water mix and to support gentle cleansing or solubilization in water-based formulas.
Is Polyglyceryl-3 Laurate clean?
It is generally well accepted in clean-beauty frameworks because it has a low irritation profile and is not a common allergen. Clean-standard concerns are usually limited to feedstock transparency and residual processing impurities, rather than the finished material itself.
Is Polyglyceryl-3 Laurate sustainable?
This material is commonly made from vegetable-derived glycerin and fatty acid feedstocks, often linked to coconut or palm-kernel supply chains. It is expected to be biodegradable, with the main sustainability question being responsible sourcing of the fatty portion.
Is Polyglyceryl-3 Laurate COSMOS-approved?
It is generally compatible with COSMOS-natural and COSMOS-organic formulas when made from approved renewable feedstocks using allowed esterification chemistry. From a Green Chemistry view, it fits well because it can be plant-derived, biodegradable, and made through relatively straightforward ester chemistry.
How does Polyglyceryl-3 Laurate work chemically?
The molecule is a nonionic fatty acid ester built from a polyglycerin backbone with an average of three glycerol units and one C12 acyl chain, giving it amphiphilic behavior. It is commonly used around 0.5 to 5% depending on whether the formula needs emulsification, solubilization, or mild cleansing, and it is generally stable across typical cosmetic pH ranges but can hydrolyze under strongly acidic or alkaline conditions.
Last updated 2026-05-13