What it is
In the register’s words: “Poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl), .alpha.-hydro-.omega.-hydroxy-, ether with methyl d-glucopyranoside-tris[(Z)-9-octadecenoate], (120 mol EO average molar ratio).”
- EU register name (INCI)
- PEG-120 METHYL GLUCOSE TRIOLEATE
What the register lists it for
These are the uses the European Commission’s CosIng register lists for PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Trioleate 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.
- Cleansing
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The register’s general role for ingredients that help clean, from washing ingredients to some plant extracts.
Register definition: “Helping to keep the body surface clean.”
- Emollient
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Oils, butters and similar ingredients that make a surface feel soft and smooth. On hair they coat the strand; many plant oils carry this role.
Register definition: “Acting as lubricants on the skin surface providing the skin with a soft and smooth appearance.”
- Viscosity controlling
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Makes a product thicker or thinner, so a gel holds its shape or a shampoo pours. Gums, cellulose and some salts carry this role.
Register definition: “Increasing or decreasing the viscosity (thickness) of cosmetics.”
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: 2 of 2 Shampoos without it
Every label, product by product (2)
- Curlsmith Essential Moisture Shampoo Shampoo 5th of 28 names
- Curlsmith Fragrance-Free Shampoo Shampoo 5th of 23 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 cleansing ingredients on these labels
- Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate 19 labels
- Decyl Glucoside 17 labels
- Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract 12 labels
- Coco-Glucoside 6 labels
- Ceteareth-20 5 labels
- Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate 5 labels
- Lauryl Glucoside 5 labels
- Stearic Acid 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.