Ingredients / PEG-40 Stearate
Very Disliked

PEG-40 Stearate

Explained

PEG-40 Stearate is a nonionic emulsifier and surfactant made from stearic acid.

It's water-soluble and good at coaxing oil + water to mix to keep everything stable.

The CIR Expert Panel has repeatedly concluded this ingredient to be safe at current cosmetic use levels with minimal skin/eye irritation when tested at 100%.

Your skincare also won't be containing 100% of this ingredient: the supplier recommends using 1-5% in a formula.

Broader reviews back this up: PEGs and their fatty-acid esters produce little or no skin/eye irritation, don't readily penetract intact skin, and rarely cause sensitization.

Because this ingredient is a PEG ester of stearic acid, it may not be fungal acne, or Malassezia, safe. Stearic acid (C18) sits in the C11-24 "edible window" that Malassezia lipases can cleave and metabolize.

See all 623 products with PEG-40 Stearate

Users who like it
6%
Users who avoid it
94%

What it does

Emulsifying The act of emulsion: a suspension of small globules of one liquid in a second liquid with which the first will not mix
Surfactant When added to liquid, surfactants may act as detergents, wetting agents, emulsifiers, foaming agents, and dispersants

Prevalence

Less common Percentage of products that contain it
0.5%
Top categories
Moisturizers
Sunscreens
Treatments
Position Predominant list placement
Top 25%

References

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov www.cosmeticsinfo.org www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

CosIng Data

CosIng ID 76904
INCI Name PEG-40 STEARATE
INN Name macrogol ester 2000
EC #  -
All Functions Emulsifying, Surfactant