What it is
In the register’s words: “Castor oil (Ricinus communis), hydrogenated, ethoxylated (40 mol EO average molar ratio).”
- EU register name (INCI)
- PEG-40 HYDROGENATED CASTOR OIL
- CAS number
- 61788-85-0
- EC number
- -
What the register lists it for
These are the uses the European Commission’s CosIng register lists for PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil 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.”
- Cleansing surfactant
-
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.
- Clarifying shampoos 1 label First five names: 0 of 1 Clarifying shampoos without it
- Deep conditioners 1 label First five names: 0 of 1 Deep conditioners without it
- Stylers 8 labels First five names: 5 of 8 Stylers without it
Every label, product by product (10)
- Ouidad Water Works Clarifying Shampoo Clarifying shampoo 13th of 33 names
- Maui Moisture Heal & Hydrate + Shea Butter Hair Mask Deep conditioner 8th of 26 names
- TRESemmé Bouncy Curls Air Dry Foam Styler 2nd of 17 names
- Ouidad Curl Quencher Moisturizing Styling Gel Styler 5th of 38 names
- Curlsmith In-Shower Style Fixer Styler 4th of 30 names
- DevaCurl Ultra Defining Gel Styler 3rd of 22 names
- Kristin Ess Sea Salt Air Dry Mousse Styler 7th of 47 names
- Curlsmith Fragrance-Free Strong Hold Gel Styler 4th of 15 names
- Maui Moisture Curl Quench + Coconut Oil Curl Smoothie Styler 10th of 28 names
- PATTERN Curl Gel Styler 14th of 38 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
- 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.