Is Isosteareth-20 safe in cosmetics?
Isosteareth-20 has a safety rating of "MODERATE" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted.
Moderate
Cosmetic Ingredient
Isosteareth-20
Also known as: POE isooctadecanol, Polyethylene glycol isooctdecyl ether, Poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl), alpha-isooctadecyl-omega-hydroxy-, Poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl), .alpha.-isooctadecyl-.omega.-hydroxy-, alpha-Alkyl-omega-hydroxypoly(oxypropylene) and/or poly(oxyethylene) polymers where the alkyl chain contains a minimum of six carbons, minimum number average molecular weight (in amu) 1,100 (+15 more)
INCI: ISOSTEARETH-20
Isosteareth-20 (CAS 52292-17-8) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Surfactant - cleansing and emulsifying. EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: permitted. Industrial safety data is also available in the chemical safety database. Same-CAS public records also appear in industrial chemical safety data.
View industrial chemical safety profile for CAS 52292-17-8 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Function
Surfactant - cleansing and emulsifying
Safety Rating
MODERATE
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
2-[2-(16-methylheptadecoxy)ethoxy]ethanol
InChIKey
ZITBHNVGLSVXEF-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
Allowed; no specific prohibition. FDA expects manufacturers to minimize 1,4-dioxane as a processing contaminant.
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Isosteareth-20.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
Additional Ingredient Properties
1 property record from structured ingredient metadata.
emulsion_hlb
{"hlb_value": "15.0", "hlb_required_as_emulsifier": "yes", "emulsifier_type": "o_w", "critical_packing_parameter": "0.22-0.32", "phase_inversion_temperature_c": "78-86", "emulsion_stabilization_mechanism": "steric_stabilization", "co_emulsifier_pairs": "glyceryl_stearate,cetearyl_alcohol", "optimal_oil_phase_pct": "5-15", "optimal_water_phase_pct": "85-95", "electrolyte_tolerance": "low", "pH_emul…
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Emulsifier
Surfactant (surface active agent)
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Isosteareth-20.
Known Synonyms
POE isooctadecanol
Polyethylene glycol isooctdecyl ether
Poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl), alpha-isooctadecyl-omega-hydroxy-
Poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl), .alpha.-isooctadecyl-.omega.-hydroxy-
alpha-Alkyl-omega-hydroxypoly(oxypropylene) and/or poly(oxyethylene) polymers where the alkyl chain contains a minimum of six carbons, minimum number average molecular weight (in amu) 1,100
PEG-10 isostearyl ether
PEG-12 isostearyl ether
PEG-2 isostearyl ether
PEG-20 isostearyl ether
PEG-22 isostearyl ether
PEG-3 isostearyl ether
PEG-50 isostearyl ether
UNII-78H2SJ8X8M
UNII-059Z6493VU
UNII-240854JL5W
UNII-3M721D059Q
UNII-73GZ576SED
UNII-O76072HF6C
UNII-P4141H45SH
Isosteareth-10
Chemical Function
Surfactant (surface active agent)
Emulsifier
Regulatory Lists
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Pesticides
Australian Status
AICIS status: listed
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Isosteareth-20 allowed in the EU?
Isosteareth-20 EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Isosteareth-20 do in cosmetics?
Isosteareth-20 functions as: Surfactant - cleansing and emulsifying. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 52292-17-8.
Is Isosteareth-20 used outside cosmetics?
Isosteareth-20 also appears in industrial chemical safety data. The cross-vertical cards on this page render same-CAS public rows from the matched databases.
Compliance Tools
Check Isosteareth-20 compliance across multiple jurisdictions:
Ingredient Decoder
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82 Allergen Checker
Check for EU declarable fragrance allergens
Substance Compliance
Check compliance across multiple jurisdictions
MoS Calculator
Calculate Margin of Safety using SCCS methodology
Heavy Metal Limits
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