C12-20 ALKYL GLUCOSIDE
C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside is a mixture of glucosides made by condensing glucose with C12 to C20 fatty alcohols. The numbers in the name describe a range of alcohol chain lengths rather than one single substance, so the label name covers closely related compounds.
C12-20 ALKYL GLUCOSIDE: what it is
C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside is a mixture of glucosides made by condensing glucose with C12 to C20 fatty alcohols. The numbers in the name describe a range of alcohol chain lengths rather than one single substance, so the label name covers closely related compounds.
Its glucoside portion comes from glucose, while the alcohol-derived portion associates more readily with oils. Bringing those portions together gives the molecule an affinity for both water and oily phases. It is not free glucose: linking it to the alcohols changes its behavior and makes it suitable for use as a surfactant in cosmetics.
C12-20 ALKYL GLUCOSIDE: what it does in cosmetics
In cosmetics, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside can contribute to cleansing and emulsifying. In rinse-off products, it helps water and skin oils spread together so soil can be carried away during rinsing. In creams and lotions, it can help keep water and oil more evenly dispersed, making the mixture less likely to separate.
A safety assessment of the alkyl glucoside family found 19 cosmetic ingredients safe in the practices and concentrations reviewed when the formulation is nonirritating. That finding concerns the group and the products assessed; it does not make this mixture a treatment active. Clinical reports also describe contact allergy to alkyl glucosides, but they cannot predict an individual person's tolerance of C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside on its own.
Products containing this ingredient
See which products include it and the name used in each composition.
