What does HEXETH-4 carboxylic acid do?

Used in cosmetics as a humectant, an emollient and a cleansing agent.

Is HEXETH-4 carboxylic acid safe?

We haven't assessed a concern score for this ingredient yet. It is listed for cosmetic use in the EU.

beauty
industrial

HEXETH-4 carboxylic acid

CAS 105391-15-9

Also registered as 1 other CAS number

117591-36-3

HEXETH-4 carboxylic acid chemical structure

Concern score

Not assessed — no hazard data yet.

HEXETH-4 carboxylic acid in plain language

What it is: Also known as 3,6,9,12-Tetraoxaoctadecanoicacid · 3,6,9,12-Tetraoxaoctadecan-1-oic acid · PEG-4 hexyl ether carboxylic acid · 3,6,9,12-TETRAOXAOCTADECANOIC acid · AKOS024366481 · Akypo lf 3
Show all 9 names
Czcchidompoglb-uhfffaoysa-n · UNII-M680E52MFM · starbld0009093
What it does: Used in cosmetics as a humectant, an emollient and a cleansing agent.
Humectant
Emollient
Cleansing
Surfactant
Conditioner
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. HEXETH-4 carboxylic acid appears in these published regulatory listings.

Recorded in these product areas

Found in consumer products
Industrial

EUCosIngActivePoly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl), .alpha.-carboxymethyl-.omega.-hexyloxy- (3 mol EO average molar ratio)
- Poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl), .alpha.-carboxymethyl-.omega.-hexyloxy- (3 mol EO average molar ratio)Source →
USEPAcommercial use observedEPA CPDat observed this chemical in 0 composition records across product categories including unclassified products. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Surfactant (surface active agent), Humectant, Softener and conditioner.
- EPA CPDat observed this chemical in 0 composition records across product categories including unclassified products. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Surfactant (surface active agent), Humectant, Softener and conditioner.Source →
USFDAlisted in openFDA substanceopenFDA substance registry classifies this ingredient as chemical.
- openFDA substance registry classifies this ingredient as chemical.Source →

Expert safety opinions

No expert opinion on file for HEXETH-4 carboxylic acid. 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 HEXETH-4 carboxylic acid yet. This record is compiled from the published data sources below — registries and regulatory listings, not study findings.

6 data sources

Where this comes from

CosIng
regulatory · updated 2026-09-23
Open →
EPA Chemical and Products Database
exposure · updated 2019-12-20
Open →
EPA DSSTox Identifiers
chemistry · updated 2025-12-29
Open →
FDA GSRS UNII
registry · updated 2026-02-26
Open →
openFDA Substance
registry · updated 2026-05-24
Open →
PubChem Live Enrichment
chemistry · updated 2026-05-17
Open →

Reference links (1)

Openfda substance

ulprospector.com

Read →

Suitability

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

Fragrance avoidance

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.

Where it has been recorded

How often EPA CPDat has listed HEXETH-4 carboxylic acid in a product composition. These are source records, not Greenveil catalog products.

Named organisations

Typical roles

HumectantEmollientCleansingSurfactantConditioner

See products using HEXETH-4 carboxylic acid →