What it is
In the register’s words: “Poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl), .alpha.-hydro-.omega.-hydroxy-, ether with methyl d-glucopyranoside 2,6-bis[(Z)-9-octadecenoate] (2:1) (120 mol EO average molar ratio).”
- EU register name (INCI)
- PEG-120 METHYL GLUCOSE DIOLEATE
- CAS number
- 86893-19-8
What the register lists it for
These are the uses the European Commission’s CosIng register lists for PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate 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
-
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.”
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 4 labels First five names: 0 of 4 Shampoos without it
- Clarifying shampoos 3 labels First five names: 1 of 3 Clarifying shampoos without it
Every label, product by product (7)
- Ouidad Curl Quencher Moisturizing Shampoo Shampoo 11th of 37 names
- Cantu Ultra Moisture Nourishing Shampoo Shampoo 13th of 31 names
- OLAPLEX No.4 Bond Maintenance Strengthening Shampoo Shampoo 40th of 78 names
- Maui Moisture Curl Quench + Coconut Oil Shampoo Shampoo 15th of 24 names
- Camille Rose Clean Rinse Clarifying Shampoo Clarifying shampoo 7th of 34 names
- Malibu C Un-Do-Goo Shampoo Clarifying shampoo 5th of 16 names
- PATTERN Cleansing Shampoo Clarifying shampoo 22nd of 34 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
- Glycereth-2 Cocoate 10 labels
- PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil 10 labels
- Trideceth-12 8 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.