Common Name(s): Ppg-10-ceteareth-20,peg-20-ppg-10 cetearyl ether,cetearyl peg/ppg-20/10 ether

DESCRIPTION

What It Does: Helps oil and water blend in creams and lotions while providing skin conditioning.

Why It's Used: Combines ppg-10 and peg-20 with cetearyl alcohol to create a multi-block ether surfactant with balanced hlb (~11–13) for o/w emulsification.

How It Works: Ppg-10 block provides intermediate polarity anchor; peg-20 block provides hydrophilicity; cetearyl c16/c18 chain provides lipophilicity and emolliency; hlb ~11–13 for o/w emulsification.

Typically Found In: O/w emulsions,creams,lotions,skin conditioning products

TECHNICAL DETAILS

Primary Category: Functional ingredient – emulsifier

Secondary Functions: Skin conditioning,surfactant,emollient

Application Areas:

Typical Concentration Range: 0.5%–5%

SOURCING & ETHICS

Vegan Status: Conditional - feedstock declaration required

Halal Status: Unverified - feedstock declaration required (plant, animal and petrochemical routes all exist)

Source Notes: Cetearyl alcohol from coconut/palm; peg/ppg from petrochemical; semi-natural. [audit 2026-07-29 rev2: origin-dependent: the same inci exists in plant, animal and petrochemical versions and the name does not discriminate. determination requires shariah-panel sign-off.]

SKIN COMPATIBILITY

Irritancy Rating: 1/5 – very low

Comedogenicity Rating: 1/5 – low

Sensitivity Concerns: Generally well tolerated.

Safe for Sensitive Skin: Yes

SAFETY & COMPATIBILITY

Safety Profile: Good safety profile. ewg score: 1–2.

Works Well With: Emollients,humectants,other peg/ppg emulsifiers,fatty alcohols

Avoid Combining With: No significant incompatibilities

SCIENTIFIC NOTE

Ppg-10-ceteareth-20 is a triblock-type amphiphile with a hydrophobic ppg anchor, lipophilic cetearyl chain, and hydrophilic peg-20 tail; this architecture provides enhanced emulsion stability versus standard ceteareth-20 alone.

Last Verified: 2026-03-27

Primary Sources: Cosing database,inci dictionary