SHEA BUTTER PEG-12 DIMETHICONE ESTERS

Substance information

Ingredient on the basis of shea butter (butyrospermum parkii butter). "PEG" refers to a PEG-(polyethylene glycol-) derivative. The number behind "PEG-" (or the first number behind "PEG/...-") refers to the average number of molecular units -CH2-CH2-O-. Ingredient on the basis of poly(di)methyl siloxane ("dimethicone"). "Ester" or "esters" refers to an esterification product (condensation product of alcohol and acid) or a trans-esterification product obtained through direct reaction of fats (mostly triglycerides) with alcohols.

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Function(s) of this ingredient in cosmetic products

HAIR CONDITIONING

Leaves the hair easy to comb, supple, soft and shiny and / or imparts volume

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Origin

plant/synthetic

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Background information on use in cosmetics

Shea butter (INCI: as word component SHEA BUTTER or BUTYROSPERMUM PARKII BUTTER) is obtained from the fruits of the shea tree. The fat obtained from the shea nut can be used in many different ways in cosmetics, since shea butter contains many valuable ingredients which are supposed to have a caring effect: apart from unsaturated fatty acids, it contains, for instance, the antioxidants Vitamin E and allantoin. Shea butter is a high-quality caring and moisture substance and is, therefore, particularly suited for the care of dry to very dry skin. Shea butter penetrates particularly well into the skin and makes it soft and receptive for other substances. Dry and brittle hair is provided by the butter with softness and suppleness because of the many fatty acids contained therein. Through ingredients such as allantoin, shea butter can also be used for skin irritations and contributes towards an acceleration of the cell structure as well as the cell formation and regeneration of the skin. Shea butter is also well suited for lipcare. Solid PEG serve as consistency enhancers in lipsticks and creams as well as humectants. They are well tolerated by the skin and are not microbiologically sensitive, so that in general it is not necessary to add any preservatives. Polyethylene glycols (INCI: PEG-...) are poly condensation products of ethylene glycol, or polymerisation products of ethylene oxide. The number added to the name refers to the mean number of ethylene oxide units in the substance. The consistency of the PEG derivatives is increasingly solid with a growing degree of polymerisation. PEGs with a mean molar mass of up to 600 g/mol are liquid, up to 1,000 g/mol wax-like and from 4,000 g/mol solid wax-like substances. By mixing solid and liquid components, products of a creamy consistency are obtained which are used as water-free and water rinse-off bases. With growing molar mass water solubility and hygroscopicity (ability to absorb moisture) of the polyethylene glycols decrease. Polyethylene glycols and their derivates are preferentially used in cosmetic products since they have a broad spectrum of viscosity and solubility properties and have a very good skin tolerance. As water soluble, non-greasy substances polyethylene glycols are suitable for many cosmetic purposes. The liquid PEGs serve, eg, as glycerol substitute in facial, shaving and hair lotions, as solubilisers and solvents. Silicones, chemically more precisely poly(organo)siloxanes, is a designation for a group of synthetic polymers in which silicone atoms are connected through oxygen atoms. The volatility and viscosity are determined by the chain length. The silicones include various compounds which contain as a characteristic functional group a polyorganosiloxane. Important classes are: dimethylpolysiloxanes, phenylmethyl polysiloxanes, cyclic methylsiloxanes and siloxanes modified with alkyl groups or PEG (polyethylene glycol). Silicones are water insoluble and have a low surface tension. The low surface tension is the reason for their good spreading quality; they constitute protective films on the skin which are vapor-permeable. They have no comedogenic effect and are particularly well tolerated on skin. Because of their favourable technological and cosmetic properties they are used rather frequently in cosmetics and serve for the improvement of care properties in skin and haircare products.

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Information on safe use

Claudia Fruijtier-Pölloth: Safety assessment on polyethylene glycols (PEGs) and their derivatives as used in cosmetic products. In: "Toxicology" (2005), No. 214, P. 1-38. Publisher: Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

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Belongs to the following substance groups

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Regulating cosmetics

Cosmetics Ingredients are subject to regulation. Please note, different regulations may apply to cosmetic ingredients outside the EU.