What it is
In the register’s words: “Poly[oxy(methyl-1,2-ethanediyl)],alpha-(1-oxotetradecyl)-theta-phenoxy.”
- EU register name (INCI)
- PPG-3 BENZYL ETHER MYRISTATE
- CAS number
- 642443-86-5
What the register lists it for
These are the uses the European Commission’s CosIng register lists for PPG-3 Benzyl Ether Myristate 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.
- Emollient
-
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.”
- Solvent
-
Dissolves other ingredients. Water is the most common; some alcohols and glycols carry this role too.
Register definition: “Dissolving other components of cosmetics. Solvents are usually liquids (aqueous and nonaqueous).”
- Plasticizer
-
Keeps a styling film flexible instead of brittle.
Register definition: “Softening and making supple synthetic polumers that otherwise could not be easily deformed, spread or worked out.”
- UV absorber
-
Protects the product in the bottle from UV light. It isn’t sun protection for your hair.
Register definition: “Protecting the cosmetic product from the effects of UV-light.”
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 1 label First five names: 0 of 1 Shampoos without it
- Rinse-out conditioners 2 labels First five names: 1 of 2 Rinse-out conditioners without it
Every label, product by product (3)
- DevaCurl No-Poo Original Shampoo 7th of 22 names
- OLAPLEX No.5 Bond Maintenance Strengthening Conditioner Rinse-out conditioner 3rd of 66 names
- DevaCurl One Condition Original Rinse-out conditioner 10th of 22 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 emollient ingredients on these labels
- Cetearyl Alcohol 80 labels
- Cetyl Alcohol 45 labels
- Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil 31 labels
- Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil 25 labels
- Stearyl Alcohol 23 labels
- Glyceryl Stearate 15 labels
- Glycol Distearate 15 labels
- Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate 15 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.