Cited skincare — every flag names its source, no upsell.
Pe

PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil

PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil

A castor-oil-derived helper that dissolves oils and fragrance into watery formulas so toners and micellar waters stay clear.

The evidence, graded

expert consensusUS safety reviewers (2014) assessed 130 PEGylated oils, which products use mainly as surfactants, helping oil and water mix. Their list names PEG-40 and PEG-60 hydrogenated castor oil, olive oil PEG-7 esters and soybean oil PEG-8 esters. They judged them safe as used, in products made not to irritate. They asked makers to keep removing traces of ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxane, which can come from how PEG ingredients are made.Burnett 2014 · International Journal of Toxicology ↗

Graded per the methodology: strong · moderate · emerging · expert consensus. A weak source on a strong claim gets the weaker label.

Browse all 1238 ingredients — grouped by what they do, each with whatever evidence we can cite.

This page is public so a shared ingredient card always has its sources behind it — and so you can check them without an account.
Want more like this?
Every evidence-based flag cites its source, Drop tells you when your routine is complete, and it helps you simplify — instead of selling you more. The app launches on iOS and Android in October 2026. Rate my routine works today at /rate — no sign-in.