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PEG-2 Stearate
PEG-2 Stearate is a cosmetic ingredient used in skincare formulas.
Summary
3 products tracked
Safety status
- Fungal acneCautionSee the fungal acne checker →
What this means for you
Use this as orientation, not a prediction of individual tolerance.
May be useful for
The catalog does not link this ingredient to a skin type. Look at the whole product and how you will use it.
Who should be careful
The catalog does not say who should avoid this ingredient. It cannot judge a health need, pregnancy, or allergy.
An ingredient list confirms presence and order—not exact concentration, finished-formula performance, or personal comfort.
Evidence & sources
- official catalog snapshotEU CosIng Ingredients and Fragrance Inventory snapshot (2020-12-30; ref 77937)
- official database guidanceEuropean Commission: Cosmetic ingredient database and its evidence boundary
Provenance and review status are editorial metadata and are not published here — these are the records the profile is built from.
Decision snapshot
Current record- Evidence grade
- limited evidence
- In our catalog
- Found in 3 of the 7,023 products we've decoded
- Fungal acne
- Possible trigger
This is not medical advice. see methodology →
Names & references
Official label names and chemical registry identifiers, with each available source kept explicit.
- Official INCI name
- PEG-2 Stearate
- Korean · KCIA
- 피이지-2스테아레이트
Chemical registries
What the record supports
Claims, limitations, sources, and tracked research are kept together so the evidence can be checked in context.
What it does
The catalog calls its main role “opacifying.” In plain language, it makes a clear formula look cloudy or solid. The catalog lists 1 other possible role for this ingredient. These labels do not prove that it treats a skin condition.
Evidence strength
limited evidence
Benefits
- Opacifying: Makes a clear formula look cloudy or solid.
- Surfactant - emulsifying: Helps the oil and water parts stay mixed.
- These are formula roles. They do not prove a skin treatment benefit.
Side effects
- The catalog does not list side effects for this ingredient.
- Being in CosIng does not mean an ingredient is safe. Each finished product needs a safety check.
Where it fits in real formulas
Related ingredients, common formula neighbors, naming, and catalog context—kept separate from evidence and personal-fit guidance.
Similar ingredients
related by documented function or concern
Where it's used
Real brands and product categories from the 3 decoded products listing PEG-2 Stearate — an observation of our catalog, not a claim about market share.
Product categories
cleansers (1), serums (1), sunscreens (1)
Frequently asked questions
What does PEG-2 Stearate do in skincare?
PEG-2 Stearate is a cosmetic ingredient used in skincare formulas. The catalog calls its main role “opacifying.” In plain language, it makes a clear formula look cloudy or solid. The catalog lists 1 other possible role for this ingredient. These labels do not prove that it treats a skin condition.
Is PEG-2 Stearate a fungal-acne (Malassezia) trigger?
A patch-test caution, not a hard avoid. A 1995 lab study found Malassezia furfur really does hydrolyse synthetic fatty-acid esters back into free fatty acids — ethyl esters (like ethyl oleate) fastest, isopropyl esters (isopropyl palmitate, isopropyl myristate) next — and the released unsaturated fatty acids fed the yeast's growth more than saturated ones did. So the mechanism is real for at least some esters. But this remains the biggest over-flagging bucket: many ubiquitous emulsifiers (glyceryl stearate, PEG-100 stearate) are built so the fatty acid isn't released in a usable form, and many fungal-acne-prone people tolerate them fine, especially in rinse-off. Treat a match as 'worth patch-testing', not 'certainly breaks you out'.
How common is PEG-2 Stearate in skincare?
PEG-2 Stearate appears in 0% of the 7,023 decoded products in our catalog (3 products).
Which brands use PEG-2 Stearate?
In the products we've decoded, PEG-2 Stearate appears in formulas from Académie scientifique de beauté, Ahc, The Face Shop.
What kinds of products contain PEG-2 Stearate?
In our decoded catalog, PEG-2 Stearate shows up mostly in cleansers (1), serums (1), sunscreens (1).
What is PEG-2 Stearate called in Korean?
On Korean labels, PEG-2 Stearate is listed as 피이지-2스테아레이트.
Products with PEG-2 Stearate
All 3 →3 public products list this ingredient.
Catalog preview
A compact look at the first products in this result set
1–1 / 3
Compiled from the EU CosIng database (ref 77937) · snapshot 16 June 2026. The written profile above was human-reviewed; see its cited sources.