Hydrogenated talloweth-12 (inci)

Hydrogenated talloweth-12 is used in cosmetic formulations. The substance acts as an emulsifier (changes the interfacial tension of liquids such as water and oil so that they can be mixed together), surfactant (washing-active substance), foaming agent, stabilizer (stabilizes the resistance and shelf life of ingredients or formulations) and viscosity regulator (increases or decreases the viscosity of cosmetic products).

Talloweth(e) are the polyoxyethylene ethers of hardened fatty acids which are obtained from beef tallow (see also: laurethe as polyoxyethylene ether of lauryl alcohol; steareth as polyoxyethylene ether of stearyl alcohol and others).

Polyalkylene glycol ethers are non-ionic surfactants whose lipophilic part is obtained from fatty alcohols (e.g. lauryl alcohol, palmitic alcohol, stearyl alcohols, etc.). The hydrophilic part is formed by short-chain polyethylene glycols (polyoxyethylene). In the designation of fatty alcohol polyglycol ethers, the inserted numbering means the average number of ethylene oxide units per mole. Talloweth-12, for example, is the INCI designation for a polyoxyethylene ether with 12 ethylene oxide units per mole.