Ppg-12-buteth-16 (inci)

PPG is the acronym for "polypropylene glycol", the polymer of propylene glycol (1,2-propanediol), a dihydric alcohol. The number after "PPG" indicates the average number of propylene glycol molecular units, e.g. "PPG-12" has 12 propylene glycol molecular units.

Buteth(e) are polyoxyethylene ethers which can be formally derived from the structure of butyl alcohol (for comparison see: laurethe as polyoxyethylene ether of lauryl alcohol; steareth as polyoxyethylene ether of stearyl alcohol etc.). In the name of butethe, the numbering added means the average number of ethylene oxide units per mole. Buteth 16, for example, is the INCI designation for a polyoxyethylene ether with 16 ethylene oxide units per mole. PPG-12-buteth-16 is used in cosmetic formulations.

The substance mixture acts as an antistatic agent (reduces static charges by neutralizing the electrical charge on the surface, e.g. of hair), combability aid (reduces or prevents the tangling of the hair due to changes or damage on the hair surface and thus improves the combability) and as an emulsifier (surface-active substance which is used in cosmetic formulations as an additive to combine 2 immiscible liquids - e.g. oil and water - into one emulsion).