Ceteareth-20

The details

Ceteareth-20 is an emulsifier and surfactant made by reacting cetearyl alcohol with 20 moles of ethylene oxide. This gives it both oil and water-loving properties that makes it an effect emulsifier; it's really great at pulling oil droplets into water to create a stable, creamy, and easy-to-spread base. Typical use ranges from 0.5-30%. Most leave-on products are in the 1-10% zone. The 20 ethylene oxide units is well above the PEG-10 threshold and therefore not a food source for Malassezia (it's fungal acne safe). This ingredient has a comedogenic rating of 2 and an irritancy rating of 3. These numbers come from testing the raw ingredient on rabbit ears and doesn't reflect how it will behave in a finished product. In practice, this ingredient is a well-tolerated ingredient. The ratings reflect cautious lab conditions and not real-world use. Just be sure to patch test any formulas you feel unsure about.

Found in (2 products)

L'Oreal

Lumi Glotion

Highlighters

Oil-freeReef safeParaben-free+4

Drunk Elephant

B-Goldi Bright Drops

Highlighters

Reef safeAlcohol-freeParaben-free+5