POLYSORBATE 20

📋 Quick facts

Description: POLYSORBATE 20 — emulsifier, solubilizer.

All Functions: emulsifier, solubilizer

Quick Facts:

• Category: surfactant

Proven Benefits At A Glance:

• Polysorbate 20 is a non-ionic surfactant used in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and food products
• It’s considered biocompatible and non-irritating
• It helps dissolve fragrance materials and other ingredients that don’t naturally dissolve in water
• It can stabilize proteins in formulations
• Intramuscular safety studies in animals showed no systemic or local toxicity

⚗️ Chemical Overview

See also: Polyoxyethylene Sorbitan Monolaurate (annotation moved to).

Source(s): PubChem, via PubChem

📊 Comedogenicity

🛡️ Safety rating

Safety tier is a starting heuristic from regulatory status and comedogenic rating, not a dermatological verdict — see our Terms for the full disclaimer. Research confidence reflects how many real cited studies back this ingredient, not the strength of their findings.

🌍 Regulatory Status

💧 Skin Type Compatibility

⚠️ Don’t Combine With

📚 Research & Evidence

🔬 The Science

Polysorbate 20 (also called PS20) is manufactured through a multi-stage chemical reaction involving sorbitol, fatty acids, and ethylene oxide, creating a complex mixture of components with varying molecular weights and polarity (Eur J Pharm Biopharm, 2025). Understanding this composition matters because variations affect how well it performs its job in products. #1: Solubilization of fragrant ingredients: Polysorbate 20 works by forming structures called micelles—tiny spheres where hydrophobic (water-repelling) fragrance materials can be dissolved and suspended in water-based products. Research on fragrance raw materials shows that when polysorbate 20 is used, fragrance ingredients compete for space in these micelles, sometimes creating an inhibitory effect where both ingredients become harder to dissolve when combined (Int J Cosmet Sci, 2025).

In contrast, anionic surfactants like sodium dodecyl sulfate were found to be more efficient overall solubilizers in this research. #2: Solubility enhancement of actives: When polysorbate 20 is added at high enough concentrations (above its critical micelle concentration), it can increase the water solubility of ingredients like quercetin—a compound with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties—by approximately 2.14 times in acidic buffer at pH 4.5 (J Public Health Afr, 2023). However, another polysorbate variant (polysorbate 80) was shown to be more effective at increasing quercetin solubility across more concentration ranges. #3: Safety profile: A four-week repeated intramuscular toxicity study in rats using doses of 0.02, 0.1, and 0.4 mg/kg showed no systemic or local toxicities, with no clinical signs, body weight changes, or allergic reactions observed (PLoS One, 2021).

An intradermal irritation study in rabbits also showed no adverse effects. This safety profile was considered similar to human serum albumin, a commonly used pharmaceutical excipient. #4: Protein stabilization: Beyond solubilization, polysorbate 20 is valued for stabilizing proteins in formulations (Eur J Pharm Biopharm, 2025), though the sources provided do not detail the specific mechanisms or extent of this stabilization in skincare contexts.

📄 Related Research

Matched by search — not necessarily verified support for every statement above.

• Tilghman C et al. (2025). Micellar solubility and co-solubilization of fragrance raw materials in sodium dodecyl sulfate and polysorbate 20 surfactant systems. Int J Cosmet Sci.
• Erawati T et al. (2023). The effect of polysorbate 20 and polysorbate 80 on the solubility of quercetin. J Public Health Afr.
• Kim J et al. (2021). Safety verification for polysorbate 20, pharmaceutical excipient for intramuscular administration, in Sprague-Dawley rats and New Zealand White rabbits. PLoS One.
• Kato M et al. (2019). Biologic-induced urticaria due to polysorbate 20. J Dermatol.
• Evers DH et al. (2025). Unravelling the polysorbate 20 composition: A fusion of UPLC-MS analysis and stochastic modelling. Eur J Pharm Biopharm.

🧴 Products Containing POLYSORBATE 20

• tetesept tetesept Zeit für Dich
• CONAXESS TRADE NORGE AS Brillance Hårfarge 872 Intense Red
• Ritual of Ayurveda hand wash
• RETINOL RETINOL SKIN CREAM
• baby lotion
• L’Oréal, L’Oreal Luxe, The Body Shop ginger scalp serum
• Soap & Glory The Fab Pore Purifying Foam Cleanser
• Charlotte Tilbury magic eye
• Apivita Shower gel with essential oils- refreshing fig
• Colgate Colgate plax ice mouthwash
• ÁR OCEAN 2 in 1 Cleanser + Toner
• Procter & Gamble Norge AS Hårkur 3 minute Miracle 225 ml
• Fragonard Crème antirides pour le visage Vrai
• CONAXESS TRADE NORGE AS Brillance Hårfarge 924 Choco Couture
• Unilever, Brylcreem Strong Hold Gel
• Johnson’s Baby Crema liquida avena
• Lidherma Cell active hidro cream
• PROCTER & GAMBLE NORGE AS H&S Balsam Deep Hydration Coconut 220ml
• neutro roberts idratante con glicerina naturale
• Borotalco, Manetti & Roberts Sapone idratante Original
• Borotalco Idratante
• Conad Essentiae Shampoo Delicato
• Breeze bagno doccia shampoo al tè verde
• Intesa Schiuma da barba
• Genera Delicate Mint Mouth-Wash Complete Action
• davines Purifying Shampoo
• davines Champú Well-being
• Pantene Mascarilla suave y liso
• Pantene Ampollas tratamiento intensivo Repara & Protege
• Pallino Salviette umidificate
• Fior di Magnolia Crema Mani Rapido Assorbimento con Estratto di Menta Acquatica e Aloe Vera
• up & up lotion
• Alfaparf Milano Semi Dilino Illuminating Low Shampoo (Diamond – Normal Hair)
• Clinique Fresh Pressed 7-Day System with Pure Vitamin C
• Kiko Milano Melting in love scent
• I Provenzali, Saponificio Gianasso Bagno schiuma erboristico
• Todis Novodent Sensitive
• Mots D’enfants Lingettes Toilettes Enfants, Parfum Melon D’eau, Par 60
• Nateïs, Marque repère Shampoing extra-doux Huile d’argan camélia
• Rituals Serenity Indian Rose & Sweet Almond Oil