Polysorbate 61
What is it?
Polysorbate 20 and the other Polysorbate ingredients (Polysorbate 21, Polysorbate 40, Polysorbate 60, Polysorbate 61, Polysorbate 65, Polysorbate 65, Polysorbate 80, Polysorbate 81, Polysorbate 85) are a series of general purpose hydrophilic, nonionic surfactants. The Polysorbates are used in a variety of products including skin fresheners, skin care products, skin cleansing products, makeup bases and foundations, shampoos, permanent waves and fragrance powders.
Safety Information
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) permits Polysorbate 20, Polysorbate 60, Polysorbate 65 and Polysorbate 80 to be directly added to food as adjuvants of flavoring agents or as multipurpose additives. FDA also includes Polysorbate 20, Polysorbate 40, Polysorbate 60, Polysorbate 65, Polysorbate 80 and Polysorbate 85 on its list of indirect food additives as emulsifiers and/or surface active agents. Polysorbate 80 has FDA approval as an ophthalmic demulcent and may be used in Over-The-Counter (OTC) ophthalmic drug products.
The safety of Polysorbate 20, Polysorbate 21, Polysorbate 40, Polysorbate 60, Polysorbate 61, Polysorbate 65, Polysorbate 80, Polysorbate 81 and Polysorbate 85 has been assessed by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel. The CIR Expert Panel evaluated the scientific data and concluded that Polysorbate 20, 21, 40, 60, 61, 65, 80, 81 and 85 were safe as cosmetic ingredients.
The safety of Polysorbate 20, Polysorbate 21, Polysorbate 40, Polysorbate 60, Polysorbate 61, Polysorbate 65, Polysorbate 80, Polysorbate 81 and Polysorbate 85 has been assessed by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel. The CIR Expert Panel evaluated the scientific data and concluded that Polysorbate 20, 21, 40, 60, 61, 65, 80, 81 and 85 were safe as cosmetic ingredients.
Why is it used in cosmetics and personal care products?
The Polysorbate ingredients help other ingredients to dissolve in a solvent in which they would not normally dissolve. They also help to form emulsions by reducing the surface tension of the substances to be emulsified.
Scientific facts:
Polysorbates are surfactants that are produced by reacting the polyol, sorbitol, with ethylene oxide. The number in the name of the Polysorbate indicates the average number of moles of ethylene oxide that has been reacted per mole of sorbitol. The polyoxyethylenated sorbitan is then reacted with fatty acids obtained from vegetable fats and oils such as lauric acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid and oleic acid. Polysorbates function to disperse oil in water as opposed to water in oil
