Steareth-20 ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is a nonionic emulsifier and solubilizer used to help oil-soluble materials disperse into water-based formulas. It is common in creams, lotions, cleansers, and hair products where it supports stable emulsions and improves rinse-off texture.
What does Steareth-20 do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is a nonionic emulsifier and solubilizer used to help oil-soluble materials disperse into water-based formulas. It is common in creams, lotions, cleansers, and hair products where it supports stable emulsions and improves rinse-off texture.
Is Steareth-20 clean?
Clean-beauty frameworks often scrutinize this ingredient because it is made through ethoxylation, a process associated with possible trace residues such as ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxane if not well purified. It is generally low-irritation in finished products, but its processing profile creates clean-standard friction.
Is Steareth-20 sustainable?
This material is typically made from a fatty alcohol feedstock combined with a petrochemical-derived ethoxylate chain. It is generally expected to biodegrade, but its petrochemical input and ethoxylation process make its sustainability profile less aligned than simpler plant-derived emulsifiers.
Is Steareth-20 COSMOS-approved?
It is not permitted under COSMOS natural or organic standards because ethoxylated materials are outside the allowed chemistry. From a Green Chemistry perspective, it has partial biodegradability but weaker alignment due to petrochemical processing and residue-control requirements.
How does Steareth-20 work chemically?
The molecule is a nonionic ether formed by adding an average of about 20 oxyethylene units to a C18 fatty alcohol, giving it a high HLB value around 15 and strong oil-in-water emulsifying behavior. It is stable across a broad pH range and is often used at low single-digit percentages, with performance influenced by the oil phase, co-emulsifiers, electrolytes, and temperature during processing.
Last updated 2026-05-13