Disliked
Steareth-21
Explained
Steareth-21 is a nonionic emulsifier made by reacting stearyl alcohol with 21 units of ethylene oxide. It is mainly a cleansing agent and emulsifier.
The "21" in the name just tells you it has a longer water-loving chain. This makes it more gentle and less likely to irritate skin compared to lower-numbered steareths.
You'll most likely see it paired with steareth-2 because the two work together to create stable formulations.
1,4-dioxane is often brought up as a concern but this is usually removed through purification.
See all 780 products with Steareth-21
Users who like it
16%
Users who avoid it
84%
What it does
Cleansing
To free from dirt, contamination, or impurities
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
0.6%
Top categories
Moisturizers
Treatments
Sunscreens
Position
Predominant list placement
Top 25%
References
CosIng Data
CosIng ID
79291
INCI Name
STEARETH-21
All Functions
Cleansing, Emulsifying, Surfactant
