Glyceryl Stearate & PEG-100 Stearate — Frequently Asked Questions

Because it pairs a low-HLB and a high-HLB emulsifier. Glyceryl stearate is largely oil-loving and anchors in the oil phase; PEG-100 stearate is strongly water-loving and provides the hydrophilic pull. Together they form a more robust interfacial film than either could alone, and that combination holds across a broad range of oil phases without needing to be matched to a specific oil.

Noticeably lighter and silkier. It builds less viscosity of its own than the cetearyl alcohol and polysorbate type, so the resulting emulsion feels fluid rather than rich and waxy. That is why it dominates in lotions and body milks, where a heavier system would feel occlusive, and why a separate thickener is often used alongside it.

Three to six percent for most oil-in-water emulsions. Both phases are heated to around 70 to 75 degrees Celsius before combining. Because it contributes relatively little viscosity, the target thickness is usually reached with a separate rheology modifier such as a carbomer or a gum rather than by raising the emulsifier level.

No. PEG-100 stearate is an ethoxylated material and is the hydrophilic half of the system, so it cannot support a PEG-free claim. Where that positioning is required, a polyglycerol ester system or another non-ethoxylated emulsifier should be used instead, selected to the required HLB of the oil phase.