What it is
In the register’s words: “Glycereth-2 Cocoate is the ester of coconut acid and a polyethylene glycol ether of glycerin containing an average of 2 moles of ethylene oxide.”
- EU register name (INCI)
- GLYCERETH-2 COCOATE
What the register lists it for
These are the uses the European Commission’s CosIng register lists for Glycereth-2 Cocoate in any cosmetic, hair roles first. They say why a maker might add it, not what it does in one formula, and they aren’t a safety rating.
- Emulsifying surfactant
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Lets oil and water mix into one cream or lotion and stay mixed. Conditioners and creams rely on them.
Register definition: “Helping suspensions or dispersions of liquids in a second liquid by reducing the surface tension of the substances to be emulsified.”
- Cleansing surfactant
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The washing ingredients: they let water lift oil, product and dirt off hair and scalp. Shampoos list them near the top; some conditioners hold a little.
Register definition: “Wetting body surfaces, emulsifying or solubilizing oils, and suspending soil (generally, such ingredients contribute to the foaming and lathering properties of cleansing products).”
Where it sits on each label
US labels list ingredients from most to least, except that those at 1% or less may follow in any order. A name near the top is a large part of the formula. A label doesn’t mark where the 1% point falls, so further down, the order says little about how much is in it.
- Shampoos 2 labels First five names: 0 of 2 Shampoos without it
- Rinse-out conditioners 2 labels First five names: 0 of 2 Rinse-out conditioners without it
- Deep conditioners 2 labels First five names: 0 of 2 Deep conditioners without it
- Leave-in conditioners 1 label First five names: 0 of 1 Leave-in conditioners without it
- Stylers 2 labels First five names: 0 of 2 Stylers without it
- Heat protectants 1 label First five names: 0 of 1 Heat protectants without it
Every label, product by product (10)
- Mielle Rosemary Mint Strengthening Shampoo Shampoo 30th of 31 names
- Mielle Pomegranate & Honey Moisturizing and Detangling Shampoo Shampoo 27th of 27 names
- Mielle Rosemary Mint Strengthening Conditioner Rinse-out conditioner 24th of 26 names
- Mielle Pomegranate & Honey Moisturizing and Detangling Conditioner Rinse-out conditioner 22nd of 22 names
- Mielle Babassu & Mint Deep Conditioner Deep conditioner 25th of 38 names
- Mielle Rosemary Mint Strengthening Hair Masque Deep conditioner 37th of 37 names
- Mielle Pomegranate & Honey Leave-In Conditioner Leave-in conditioner 27th of 27 names
- The Doux MOUSSE DEF Texture Foam Styler 13th of 17 names
- Mielle Pomegranate & Honey Curl Smoothie Styler 21st of 21 names
- Mielle Mongongo Oil Thermal & Heat Protectant Spray Heat protectant 28th of 28 names
Each line runs from the first name on a label to the last; a dot is where this ingredient sits. Makers change formulas now and then; if the list on your bottle differs, go by your bottle.
Your next step
Other emulsifying surfactant ingredients on these labels
- Polysorbate 20 21 labels
- Polysorbate 60 13 labels
- Xanthan Gum 11 labels
- PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil 10 labels
- Trideceth-12 8 labels
- PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate 7 labels
- PEG-150 Distearate 6 labels
- Hexylene Glycol 5 labels
Updated · The name, numbers and uses come from the European Commission’s CosIng entry (CC BY 4.0); we write the uses in US spelling and put the hair ones first. The labels are each maker’s own. The order rule is the FDA’s Cosmetics Labeling Guide. All our sources are on the Sources page.