Polysorbates appear from time to time in the INCI lists. They are very common raw materials used in personal care products. Polysorbates are also widely used in the food and pharmaceutical industries. They are very common chemicals that are difficult to avoid. When a chemical is widely used, problems also arise. Polysorbates have been studied extensively and, as usual, the research results are contradictory. Are polysorbates safe? So that you can draw your own conclusions, read this article entirely. I will tell you everything you need to know about polysorbates.
What are polysorbates?
Polysorbates are a large group of different chemicals. Polysorbates are always manufactured in chemical factories. They are never natural. Polysorbates are used in cosmetics, for example, as emulsifiers, surfactants and fragrance ingredients.
Polysorbate is treated with ethylene oxide (ethoxylation) after which the substance is combined with fatty acids.
There are many different types of polysorbates. Different polysorbates are separated from each other by a number. The number after polysorbate indicates the number of ethylene oxides.
Polysorbates used in cosmetics
The most familiar polysorbates in cosmetics are polysorbate-60 (Tween 60) and polysorbate-20 (Tween 20). There are many other polysorbates used in cosmetics. These two are just examples.
Polysorbate-60 is made from sorbitol and lauric acid. Polysorbate-20 is made by ethoxylation of sorbitan monolaurate. Both products are treated with ethylene oxide, meaning that they undergo an ethoxylation process.
These two polysorbates are commonly used as emulsifiers to combine water with oil. Polysorbate-80 is soluble in water and oil but not in glycerine. Polysorbate-20 is soluble in water and glycerine but only partially in oil (cloudiness). Therefore, the purpose of these two in cosmetics is slightly different. Polysorbate-20 is suitable, for example, for dissolving essential oils in water. Polysorbate-20 is also an ingredient in toners, mascaras, and foundation. Polysorbate-60 is used as an actual emulsifier in creams, for example.
Polysorbate-80 is commonly used in cosmetics as a washing ingredient. It is generally found in shower gels and shampoos. Polysorbate-80 is also a very common ingredient in vaccines. All polysorbates are also generating the foam in the product.
Polysorbate-80 and polysorbate-20 are both cold process emulsifiers. Cold process emulsifiers are very popular in industry. The hot process consumes an incredible amount of energy when the product is manufactured on an industrial scale like several tons. The hot product also needs to be cooled down, which in turn takes time and energy. The cold process does not have these problems at all.
Polysorbate-20 is suitable not only for cosmetics, but also for food such as ice cream and salad dressings.
Are polysorbates harmful?
Polysorbate itself is not harmful. The problems with polysorbates are related to the ethoxylation process. The risks are related to contamination. When polysorbate is ethoxylated, it can be contaminated with dangerous, carcinogenic substances.
What does contamination mean?
Contamination means the contamination of a product with unwanted or toxic substances. A contaminated product has been contaminated unintentionally. No one has intentionally added a toxic substance to the product. The toxic substance has been formed into the product during the manufacturing process. The manufacturing process should ensure that the final product is as clean as possible and contains only the chemicals that were supposed to be in there. If the cleaning process has been handled carelessly, many harmful compounds may remain in the final product. It is impossible for the manufacturer of the final product to say whether the ingredients he uses are completely pure or not. The cosmetics manufacturer should only rely on the supplier of the ingredient(s).
The biggest concerns about polysorbate are its carcinogenicity due to ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxin. The same substances also cause skin allergies and problems with reproductive health and development. As always, researchers completely disagree about the carcinogenicity of polysorbates. There are many different studies for and against of the issue. Polysorbates have therefore been studied extensively.
Compounds that cause cancer and allergies
Several studies have found that polysorbates enhance the effects of known carcinogenic substances, even if they are not carcinogenic. The effects of polysorbates have been studied mainly in food, but not so much on the skin. Polysorbates are feared to cause problems with intestinal bacterial growth and to be partially a contributing factor to intestinal cancer and other intestinal problems.
Polysorbate-80, which is found in vaccines, has also been extensively studied because it is suspected of causing problems for certain groups of people.
Polysorbate-20 has been found to cause allergies, irritation, and skin sensitization. The same problem exists with polysorbate-85.
How to avoid polysorbates?
Polysorbates have not been found to be toxic substances. They are not dangerous as such. However, if you want to avoid contaminated ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxin, you should avoid polysorbates not only in food but also in cosmetics.
Use natural cosmetics
Currently, no polysorbates may be used in certified natural cosmetics. Therefore, purchasing certified natural cosmetics is a safe choice.
There are also many small cosmetics artisans workshops whose products are free of polysorbates and other synthetic ingredients. It is worth checking out the ÍNCI list of these products. If a product has strange ingredients whose meaning you do not understand, leave the product on the shelf.
Use anhydrous products
I recommend choosing anhydrous products. Anhydrous products usually do not contain emulsifiers or preservatives. I said “usually” because nowadays you can’t be sure about anything anymore. For example, water-free cleansing oils often contain emulsifiers and even preservatives. Similarly, many bulk products nowadays do also contain preservatives and other chemicals.
Make your own cosmetics
By making your own products, you can be sure of what the product contains. Homemade cosmetics are usually very simple, water-free cosmetics that don’t contain many ingredients. That’s why homemade cosmetics are so safe.
If you want to make emulsions, you have so many completely safe emulsifiers to choose from. You don’t necessarily ever need polysorbate, even if you make products that contain water. The familiar Olivem 1000 is a good and versatile emulsifier that is also completely safe to use. Most probably, you can find other, also safe options for emulsifiers from online stores selling cosmetic raw materials.
Do you check the INCI list when buying cosmetics?