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  • cleaning
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Polysorbate 20

CAS 1341-06-6

Also registered as 17 other CAS numbers

8036-82-6 · 9011-30-7 · 9015-57-0 · 37310-96-6 · 54174-54-8 · 60318-54-9 · 62229-28-1 · 93037-36-6 · 118955-39-8 · 122304-31-8 · 129428-64-4 · 194879-92-0 · 851015-03-7 · 861842-35-5 · 1242241-45-7 · 1646144-25-3 · 9005-64-5

Concern score

Not assessed — no hazard data yet.

Polysorbate 20 in plain language

What it is

On cosmetic ingredient lists it appears as “PEG-10 sorbitan laurate”.

Also known as PEG-10 sorbitan laurate · PEG-40 sorbitan laurate · PEG-44 sorbitan laurate · PEG-75 sorbitan laurate · PEG-80 sorbitan laurate · Polysorbate 21

Show all 46 names

PEG-20 sorbitan · Polyoxyethylene 20 sorbitan monolaurate · POLY(OXY-1,2-ETHANEDIYL) derivative · Polyethylene glycol (44) sorbitan monolaurate · Polyethylene glycol (80) sorbitan monolaurate · Polyethylene glycol 4000 sorbitan monolaurate · Polyethylene glycol 500 sorbitan monolaurate · Polyoxyethylene (10) sorbitan monolaurate · Polyoxyethylene (44) sorbitan monolaurate · Polyoxyethylene (75) sorbitan monolaurate · Polyoxyethylene (80) sorbitan monolaurate · Polyoxyethylene sorbitan monolaurate · POLYOXYETHYLENE(4)SORBITAN monolaurate · Sorbimacrogol laurate 300 · Sorbitan monododecanoate · Tween 21 · Aec PEG-10 sorbitan laurate · Aec PEG-44 sorbitan laurate · Aec PEG-75 sorbitan laurate · Aec PEG-80 sorbitan laurate · Alkamuls PSML 20 · Alkamuls PSML 80/72 · Alkamuls T 20 · Armotan PML 20 · Atlas G 4280 · Atlas G 7596J · E-432 · Ethsorbox PSML-80 · Ins NO.432 · INS-432 · Laxan-s · Lumisorb PSML-80 · Sorbitan, monododecanoate, poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl) derivs. · Tween 28 · emulsifier · poly sorbate 20 · polysorbate 20 (polyoxyethylene sorbitan monolaurate) · tween 20 · tween 20 (polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monolaurate) · Alkamuls PSML-80/72%

What it does

Used in cosmetics as an emulsifier and a cleansing agent.

  • Emulsifying
  • Cleansing
  • Emulsifier
  • Surfactant
  • Thickener
  • Fragrance
Is it a concern?
We haven't assessed a concern score for this ingredient yet. It is listed for cosmetic use in the EU.

Regulation

No restrictions found. Polysorbate 20 appears in these published regulatory listings.

  • Inactive ingredient in US drugs
  • In marketed US drugs

Recorded in these product areas

  • Found in consumer products
  • Beauty
  • Cleaning
  • Pharma
  • Food
  • Industrial
  • USFDAinactive ingredient database28 entries — 9 administration routes
    • Route: AURICULAR (OTIC); Dosage form: SUSPENSION; Potency: 0.1 %w/vSource →
    • Route: INTRAMUSCULAR; Dosage form: INJECTION; Maximum daily exposure: 39 mgSource →
    • Route: INTRAMUSCULAR; Dosage form: INJECTION, SUSPENSION, EXTENDED RELEASE; Maximum daily exposure: 60 mgSource →
    • Route: INTRAVENOUS; Dosage form: INJECTION; Maximum daily exposure: 30 mgSource →
    • Route: INTRAVENOUS; Dosage form: INJECTION, POWDER, FOR SOLUTION; Potency: NASource →
    • Route: INTRAVENOUS; Dosage form: INJECTION, SOLUTION; Maximum daily exposure: 30 mgSource →
    • Route: NASAL; Dosage form: SPRAY, METERED; Maximum daily exposure: 40 mgSource →
    • Route: OPHTHALMIC; Dosage form: SUSPENSION; Potency: 0.05 %w/vSource →
    • Route: ORAL; Dosage form: CAPSULE; Maximum daily exposure: 563 mgSource →
    • Route: ORAL; Dosage form: POWDER, FOR SUSPENSION; Potency: 1.3 mg/5mlSource →
    • Route: ORAL; Dosage form: SUSPENSION; Maximum daily exposure: 80 mgSource →
    • Route: ORAL; Dosage form: TABLET; Maximum daily exposure: 17 mgSource →
    • Route: ORAL; Dosage form: TABLET, EXTENDED RELEASE; Potency: 4.2 mgSource →
    • Route: ORAL; Dosage form: TABLET, FILM COATED; Potency: 0.35 mgSource →
    • Route: SUBCUTANEOUS; Dosage form: INJECTION; Potency: NASource →
    • Route: SUBCUTANEOUS; Dosage form: INJECTION, SOLUTION; Potency: NASource →
    • Route: TOPICAL; Dosage form: AEROSOL, FOAM; Potency: 3.7 %w/wSource →
    • Route: TOPICAL; Dosage form: CLOTH; Potency: NASource →
    • Route: TOPICAL; Dosage form: CREAM; Maximum daily exposure: 108 mgSource →
    • Route: TOPICAL; Dosage form: EMULSION; Potency: 2 %w/wSource →
    • Route: TOPICAL; Dosage form: GEL; Potency: 5 %w/wSource →
    • Route: TOPICAL; Dosage form: LOTION; Maximum daily exposure: 2000 mgSource →
    • Route: TOPICAL; Dosage form: SHAMPOO; Potency: 8 %w/wSource →
    • Route: TOPICAL; Dosage form: SOAP; Potency: 0.02 %w/wSource →
    • Route: TOPICAL; Dosage form: SOLUTION; Potency: 15 %w/wSource →
    • Route: VAGINAL; Dosage form: AEROSOL, FOAM; Potency: 3 %w/wSource →
    • Route: VAGINAL; Dosage form: SUPPOSITORY; Potency: NASource →
    • Route: VAGINAL; Dosage form: TAMPON; Potency: 64.8 mgSource →
  • EUCosIngActive6 entries
    • Sorbitan, monododecanoate, poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl) derivs.Source →
    • Sorbitan, monododecanoate, poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl) derivs. (10 mol EO average molar ratio)Source →
    • Sorbitan, monododecanoate, poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl) derivs. (40 mol EO average molar ratio)Source →
    • Sorbitan, monododecanoate, poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl) derivs. (44 mol EO average molar ratio)Source →
    • Sorbitan, monododecanoate, poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl) derivs. (75 mol EO average molar ratio)Source →
    • Sorbitan, monododecanoate, poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl) derivs. (80 mol EO average molar ratio)Source →
  • USEPAcommercial use observedEPA CPDat observed this chemical in 5362 composition records across product categories including Construction and building materials, Personal care, Laboratory supplies. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Emulsifier, Surfactant (surface active agent), Fragrance.
    • EPA CPDat observed this chemical in 5362 composition records across product categories including Construction and building materials, Personal care, Laboratory supplies. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Emulsifier, Surfactant (surface active agent), Fragrance.Source →
  • USFDAmarketed drug occurrenceFDA NDC lists this ingredient in 2 drug products and 2 package presentations.
    • FDA NDC lists this ingredient in 2 drug products and 2 package presentations.Source →
  • USFDAlisted in openFDA substanceopenFDA substance registry classifies this ingredient as polymer.
    • openFDA substance registry classifies this ingredient as polymer.Source →

Expert safety opinions

No expert opinion on file for Polysorbate 20. These are the independent scientific bodies that assess ingredients like this one; we show an opinion only when a record we hold cites it.

  • SCCS

    EU Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety

    No SCCS opinion on file.

  • CIR

    Cosmetic Ingredient Review (US expert panel)

    No CIR safety assessment on file.

Evidence & sources

No graded research studies for Polysorbate 20 yet. This record is compiled from the published data sources below — registries and regulatory listings, not study findings.

7 data sources

Where this comes from

  • CosIng

    regulatory · updated 2026-09-23

    Open →

  • EPA Chemical and Products Database

    exposure · updated september 21, 2015

    Open →

  • EPA DSSTox Identifiers

    chemistry · updated 2025-12-29

    Open →

  • FDA Inactive Ingredient Database

    regulatory · updated 2026-01-09

    Open →

  • FDA National Drug Code Directory

    regulatory · updated 2027-09-12

    Open →

  • FDA GSRS UNII

    registry · updated 2026-02-26

    Open →

  • openFDA Substance

    registry · updated 2026-05-24

    Open →
Reference links (1)
Openfda substance

codexalimentarius.net

Read →

Allergen profile

Canonical allergen markers detected on this ingredient. Each row is derived from the ingredient’s name or synonyms matching a known allergen class — useful when scanning a label for a specific allergy context.

  • SoyContains · Oral (ingested)

    Source: chemindex_name_match

Suitability

Context-specific fit derived from published classifications and the current ingredient evidence profile.

Food use

Nothing to weigh for this context yet.

No signal in this context

We have no published hazard signal for this ingredient, so we cannot say how it behaves in this context — that is missing evidence, not a clean result.

Fragrance avoidance

Not a strong fit for fragrance avoidance because it carries Fragrance.

Avoid

The ingredient itself is a fragrance-linked signal, so it is better treated as an avoid case when fragrance exposure is the main concern.

Where it has been recorded

How often EPA CPDat has listed Polysorbate 20 in a product composition. These are source records, not Greenveil catalog products.

Source records

5,362

Named organisations

6

Construction and building materialsPersonal careLaboratory suppliesSpecialty occupational productsCleaning products and household careFood and drug

Typical roles

EmulsifyingCleansingEmulsifierSurfactantThickenerFragrance
See products using Polysorbate 20 →

Catalog

Found in these products

Cosmetic and personal-care products that list Polysorbate 20 are shown first. Their ingredient lists include Polysorbate 20; each product's own rating depends on its whole formula, so it is shown on the product page, not here.

See all 843 →Find products without it →

Co-occurrence

Often appears with

Ingredients that frequently appear alongside Polysorbate 20 in the catalog.