Polysorbate 80

At a glance

Polysorbate 80 (Tween 80) is a non‑ionic surfactant made by esterifying sorbitol with oleic acid and ethoxylating the product; it’s odorless and used to solubilise and emulsify fragrance oils in cosmetics.

Category
⚗️ Synthetic
Origin
Sorbitol (corn) and oleic acid (vegetable oil)
Extraction
Chemical synthesis
Chemical family
Polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate
CAS number
9005-65-6
IFRA status
Not restricted
● drafted · last checked 2026-09-09