PEG-20 Distearate
What Is It?
The PEG Distearate ingredients (PEG-2 Distearate, PEG-3 Distearate, PEG-4 Distearate, PEG-6 Distearate, PEG-8 Distearate, PEG-9 Distearate, PEG-12 Distearate, PEG-20 Distearat, PEG-32 Distearate, PEG-75 Distearate, PEG-120 Distearate, PEG-150 Distearate, PEG-175 Distearate) range from liquids to solids or flakes. In cosmetics and personal care products, PEG Distearate ingredients are used in the formulation of shampoos, hair conditioners, personal cleanliness products, bath products, and skin care and skin cleansing products.
Why Is It Used?
PEG Distearate ingredients clean the skin and hair by helping water to mix with oil and dirt so that they can be rinsed away. They also help to form emulsions by reducing the surface tension of the substances to be emulsified and help other ingredients to dissolve in a solventSubstances, usually liquids, that are used to dissolve other substances. in which they would not normally dissolve.
Scientific Facts
Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) Distearates are produced from stearic acid, a naturally occurring fatty acidA natural organic compound that consists of a carboxyl group (oxygen, carbon and hydrogen) attached to a chain of carbon atoms with their associated hydrogen atoms. The chain of carbon atoms may be connected with single bonds, making a ‘saturated’ fat; or it may contain some double bonds, making an ‘unsaturated’ fat. The number of carbon and hydrogen atoms in the chain is what determines the qualities of that particular fatty acid. Animal and vegetable fats are made up of various combinations of fatty acids (in sets of three) connected to a glycerol molecule, making them triglycerides., which occurs in animal fats and oils. PEG Distearates are manufactured by reacting stearic acid with a specific number of units of ethylene oxide which corresponds to the average PEG chain length desired.
Safety Information
The safety of the PEG Distearate ingredients has been assessed by the Cosmetic Ingredient ReviewThe Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) was established in 1976 as an independent safety review program for cosmetic ingredients. The CIR Expert Panel consists of independent experts in dermatology, toxicology, pharmacolgy and veterinary medicine. The CIR includes participation by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration and the Consumer Federation of America. (CIR) Expert Panel. The CIR Expert Panel evaluated the scientific data and concluded that PEG-2, -3, -4, -6, -8, -9, -12, -20, -32, -75, -120, -150 and -175 Distearate were safe for use in cosmetic formulations.
CIR Safety Review: The CIR Expert Panel noted that not all of the polymerA naturally occurring or synthetic molecule made up of repeating units called monomers. chain lengths covered in this assessment were reported to be used, but all are listed as cosmetic ingredients and may have been used in the past and could be used in the future. Very little toxicity data were available for the PEG Distearate ingredients. Related compounds including PEGs, PEGs Stearate, Steareths and Stearic Acid, have previously been reviewed. In general, PEG ingredients have a low level toxicity whether the exposure is oral or dermal.
Minimal ocular irritation is seen with PEGs, PEG Stearates, Steareths and Stearic Acid. No evidence of mutagenicity, carcinogenicity, or reproductive and developmental toxicity of these related compounds was found.
Use of PEG containing antibiotic ointment has been associated with kidney effects in burn patients. Kidney effects were only observed when the ointment was used several times each day over a large area of burned skin. The CIR Expert Panel recommended that cosmetic manufacturers should continue to adjust product formulations to minimize any untoward effects for products intended to be used on damaged skin. PEG Stearates, Steareths and Stearic Acid were not irritants, sensitizers, or phototoxins.
Small amounts of 1,4-dioxane, a by-product of ethoxylation, may be found in PEG-Distearate ingredients. The potential presence of this material is well known and can be controlled through purification steps to remove it from the ingredients before blending into cosmetic formulations.
More information about what the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is doing to assure that cosmetics do not contain unsafe levels of 1,4-dioxane.
If the Stearic Acid used to make PEG Distearates complies with European Union animal by-products legislation, PEG Distearates may be used in cosmetics and personal care products marketed in Europe according to the general provisions of the Cosmetics Regulation of the European UnionUnder the general provisions of the cosmetics regulation of the EU, ingredients appearing on the following function-specific annexes must comply with the listed restrictions and/or specifications: colorants (Annex IV), preservatives (Annex V), UV filters (Annex VI) and other ingredients with specific concentration limits and/or other restrictions (Annex III). Ingredients specifically prohibited from use in cosmetic products are listed in Annex II. Other ingredients listed in the EU cosmetic ingredient database (CosIng) may be used without restrictions..
More Scientific Information
PEG Distearate ingredients are the polyethylene glycol diesters of stearic acid. In cosmetics and personal care products, PEG Distearates are used as surfactants (emulsifying agents, cleansing agents, and solubilizing agents).