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Polysorbate 20

Our database includes 3211 products that contain Polysorbate 20.

You should know

Concerns

Fungal Acne
Comedogenic Rating:   0
Irritancy Rating:   0

Explained

Polysorbate 20 is made by combining ethoxylation of sorbitan, ethylene oxide, and lauric acid. It is a mild cleansing agent, surfactant, and emulsifier.

As a surfactant, it helps collect dirt and oils for washing. Emulsifiers prevent oils and water from separating.

Polysorbate 20 also adds scent to a product. Since it is made using sorbitol, it has a sweet scent. Sorbitol can also be found in fruits such as apples and peaches.

The lauric acid used to create Polysorbate 20 is often derived from coconuts.

Polysorbate 20 may not be fungal acne safe.

People also like: Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Parfum

People also dislike: Niacinamide, Polysorbate 60, Hyaluronic Acid

Also known as: Tween 20 and Polyoxyethylene Sorbitan Monolaurate

Polysorbate 20 is a somewhat common cosmetic ingredient, with about 7.3% of the products in our database containing it.

What it does:

Emulsifying

Community Stats

363 people from our community have liked or disliked this ingredient.

Users who dislike it 💔

Often have the following skin types:

Oily Sensitive

Usually have one or more of the following skin concerns:

Seborrheic Dermatitis • Fungal Acne • Sensitivity • Oiliness

Where it's used

Polysorbate 20 is most often found as ingredient number 17 within an ingredient list.

These are the categories of products that use Polysorbate 20 the most:

CosIng Data

  • CosIng ID: 79318
  • INCI Name: POLYSORBATE 20
  • All Functions: Emulsifying, Surfactant
What is CosIng?

CosIng is the European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients.

SkinSort uses CosIng to source some of it's data on ingredient names and functions.