St
Steareth-2
Steareth-2
An oil-leaning emulsifier that helps creams hold together.
What it does
It’s stearyl alcohol joined to a very short PEG chain, so it mixes better with oil than with water.
The evidence, graded
expert consensusUS safety reviewers (2012) assessed the alkyl PEG ethers, which products use mostly to help oil and water mix, and some to condition skin or steady a mixture. Their index lists laureth-23, trideceth-6, isoceteth-20 and steareth-2 under that report. Where data were missing for one ingredient, they drew on the others. They judged them safe as used, in products made not to irritate.Fiume 2012 · International Journal of Toxicology ↗
Graded per the methodology: strong · moderate · emerging · expert consensus. A weak source on a strong claim gets the weaker label.
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