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INGREDIENT DICTIONARY

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Polysorbate 20

INCI: Polysorbate 20 | CAS #: 9005-64-5
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Polysorbate 20 is a water-soluble, non-ionic surfactant used primarily as a solubiliser in cosmetic and personal-care formulations. It helps incorporate small amounts of fragrance, essential oils and other suitable oil-soluble materials into predominantly water-based systems, while also providing dispersing and supporting emulsification functionality.

Polysorbate 20

What is Polysorbate 20 & why is it used?

Polysorbate 20 is a non-ionic surfactant used primarily as a solubiliser in cosmetic and personal-care formulations. Formulators commonly use it to help incorporate fragrance, essential oils and other suitable oil-soluble materials into water-based products where those materials would not otherwise readily mix with the aqueous phase. It can also provide emulsifying and dispersing functionality, making it useful across toners, mists, serums, cleansers, shampoos and other water-dominant systems.

QUALITY MATTERS

Why specification quality matters

Polysorbate 20 is available from different manufacturers and in different grades. Specifications may vary between commercial materials, including physicochemical parameters, impurity controls and applicable quality standards. Formulators should therefore evaluate the technical specification and batch documentation for the particular material being used rather than assuming that all materials carrying the Polysorbate 20 INCI have identical specifications.

Appearance Clear, colourless to pale yellow liquid
Solubility Water soluble
Primary function Solubiliser
Use level 0.1–5.0%

Key benefits

Solubilising

Solubilising

Helps incorporate suitable oil-soluble materials into predominantly water-based formulations.
Dispersing

Dispersing

Supports more uniform distribution of fragrance, essential oils and other compatible lipophilic materials.
Non-Ionic Functionality

Non-Ionic Functionality

Provides versatile surface-active functionality without carrying an ionic charge, making it useful across a broad range of cosmetic formulation systems.
Formulation Versatility

Formulation Versatility

Can perform solubilising, dispersing and supporting emulsification roles across different cosmetic formulation types.

Behaviour in formulations

Polysorbate 20 helps oil-soluble materials interact with the surrounding aqueous phase through its surface-active structure. At an appropriate ratio, this can improve dispersion and may allow clear or translucent systems to be produced where the oil-soluble component would otherwise separate from the water phase.

Its performance is strongly influenced by the material being solubilised. Different fragrances, essential oils and lipophilic ingredients can require different amounts of Polysorbate 20 even when used at similar concentrations.

The complete formulation also matters. Changes to surfactants, electrolytes, polymers, pH or other components may alter clarity or physical stability after an initially successful premix is incorporated.

Sensory notes

Primarily a functional solubiliser rather than a sensory modifier. Higher use levels may contribute additional weight or tack to lightweight aqueous formulations, with the overall sensory effect dependent on concentration and the complete formulation.

Formulation considerations

PROCESSING

Polysorbate 20 can be incorporated into the formulation directly or pre-mixed with the fragrance, essential oil or other suitable oil-soluble component before addition to the aqueous phase. Pre-mixing is commonly used during bench development to assess incorporation and optimise the solubiliser-to-oil relationship. Mix sufficiently to achieve uniform incorporation while avoiding unnecessary aeration.

COMPATIBILITY

As a non-ionic surfactant, Polysorbate 20 can be used within a broad range of cosmetic systems. Its solubilising behaviour can nevertheless be influenced by other formulation components, including surfactants, electrolytes, polymers and the composition of the material being solubilised. Compatibility should therefore be assessed within the complete formulation.

pH
Polysorbate 20 is not used primarily to control formulation pH. Finished-product pH should be selected according to the requirements of the complete formulation, with solubilisation performance and stability assessed within the intended pH range.
FORMULATION EXAMPLES

Use in facial mists, toners and aqueous serums where small amounts of fragrance, essential oils or other suitable oil-soluble ingredients need to be incorporated into a predominantly water-based system. Also useful in shampoos, cleansers and bath products where fragrance or lipophilic components require additional solubilising or dispersing support.

Use level considerations

Recommended range 0.1–5.0%
Suggested starting level Start by testing the solubiliser-to-oil ratio rather than selecting Polysorbate 20 as a fixed percentage of the total formula.%

Determine the Polysorbate 20 level around the specific material being solubilised and the total oil load rather than relying on a fixed universal ratio. Small bench trials can be used to increase the solubiliser level incrementally while monitoring clarity, dispersion and overall formulation behaviour.

Initial clarity should not be treated as confirmation of long-term stability. A system that appears clear immediately after manufacture may later develop haze, surface droplets or separation.

Increasing Polysorbate 20 is also not automatically the solution to every clarity problem. If performance remains unsatisfactory, assess the complete formulation and consider whether another ingredient or formulation condition is affecting the solubilised system.

Formulation summary

Primary role: Non-ionic solubiliser with additional dispersing and supporting emulsification functionality.

Best suited to: Predominantly aqueous formulations containing relatively small quantities of suitable oil-soluble materials.

Key consideration: Solubiliser requirements vary with the material being incorporated; there is no universal Polysorbate 20-to-oil ratio.

Processing approach: May be incorporated directly or pre-mixed with the oil-soluble component before addition to the aqueous phase.

Assess: Clarity, haze, surface droplets, separation and changes during stability testing.

Quality notes

Polysorbate 20 is available from different manufacturers and in different grades. Specifications may vary between commercial materials, including physicochemical parameters, impurity controls and applicable quality standards. Formulators should therefore evaluate the technical specification and batch documentation for the particular material being used rather than assuming that all materials carrying the Polysorbate 20 INCI have identical specifications.

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