Ximenia Americana Seed Oil PEG-8 Esters is a compound derived from the transesterification of Ximenia Americana seed oil with polyethylene glycol (PEG-8). This ingredient combines the emollient and nutrient-rich properties of Ximenia Americana seed oil with the solubilizing and moisturizing capabilities of PEG-8, making it beneficial for use in various cosmetic and personal care products.

Chemical Composition and Structure

Ximenia Americana Seed Oil PEG-8 Esters consists of:

Ximenia Americana Seed Oil: Rich in essential fatty acids (ximenynic acid, oleic acid, and linoleic acid), vitamins (particularly vitamin E), phytosterols, and polyphenols.
Polyethylene Glycol (PEG-8): A polymer of ethylene glycol, known for its hydrophilic properties and ability to improve solubility and moisture retention in formulations.

Physical Properties

Ximenia Americana Seed Oil PEG-8 Esters is typically a clear to slightly yellow liquid with a mild, neutral aroma. It is both water-soluble and oil-soluble, making it a versatile ingredient in emulsions and various cosmetic formulations.

Production Process

Extraction of Ximenia Americana Seed Oil: Seeds are collected from mature Ximenia Americana trees, cleaned, dried, and cold-pressed or solvent-extracted to obtain the oil.
Transesterification: The fatty acids from Ximenia Americana seed oil are reacted with PEG-8 under controlled conditions to form the ester compound.
Purification: The resulting product is purified to remove any unreacted materials or impurities.
Quality Control: Rigorous quality tests are conducted to evaluate the purity, stability, and composition of the final product, including chemical and microbiological analyses.

Applications

Cosmetic Products: Used in creams, lotions, serums, and emulsions for its emulsifying, moisturizing, and nourishing properties.
Skin Care: Ideal for formulations aimed at hydrating, protecting, and revitalizing the skin due to its combined benefits of Ximenia Americana seed oil and PEG-8.
Hair Care: Incorporated into shampoos, conditioners, and treatments for its ability to nourish and strengthen hair while improving product texture and spreadability.
Personal Care Products: Used in body washes, soaps, and other personal care items for its emulsifying and hydrating effects.

Cosmetic Safety

PEG (Polyethylene glycol) polymerize condensed ethylene oxide and water and are referred to as polyethylene glycols, but they are actually complex chemical components, polymers bonded together. For example, plastic is polyethylene and has a hard consistency, while polyethylene aggregated with glycol forms a liquid. PEGylation is produced not only as heterification but also as transesterification, which is the transformation of an alcohol by an ester.
The number that appears after the abbreviation PEG represents the molecular weight, and the higher this number is, the less it penetrates the skin.
The term 'eth' refers to the ethoxylation reaction with ethylene oxide after which residues of ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxane, chemical compounds considered carcinogenic, may remain. The degree of safety therefore depends on the degree of purity of the compound obtained. No manufacturer appears to provide this information on the label, at least as of the date of this review.
Kim MC, Park SY, Kwon SY, Kim YK, Kim YI, Seo YS, Cho SM, Shin EC, Mok JH, Lee YB. Application of Static Headspace GC-MS Method for Selective 1,4-Dioxane Detection in Food Additives. Foods. 2023 Sep 2;12(17):3299. doi: 10.3390/foods12173299.
Abstract. "Efficient detection methods must be developed for 1,4-dioxane due to its suspected status as a human carcinogen, which is highly mobile in food and environmental resources. In this regard, this experiment has been conducted to develop reliable and selective detection and measurement methods by using static headspace (SH) isolation, followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). A new method was developed for determining the spiked 1,4-dioxane contents in a polyethylene glycol 600 (PEG 600). The optimal condition for SH-GC-MS was discussed. The representative ions of 1,4-dioxane and 1,4-dioxane-d8 in the SIM mode of MS are 88 and 96, respectively, and the peaks of the SIM mode were separated and confirmed. The linear range for the method covers 0.25 to 100 mg/L with a coefficient of determination (R2) ≥ 0.999. The method applicability was demonstrated by spike recovery across a variety of food additives (i.e., chlorine bitartrate, choline chloride, polysorbate 20 and 60, and PEG 1000). All spike recovery from the tested samples was in the range of 89.50-102.68% with a precision of 0.44-11.22%. These findings suggest a new analytical method for food safety inspection, and could be applicable for ensuring the safety of foods and environmental and public health on a broad scale."

INCI


Skin conditioning agent - Emollient. Emollients have the characteristic of enhancing the skin barrier through a source of exogenous lipids that adhere to the skin, improving barrier properties by filling gaps in intercorneocyte clusters to improve hydration while protecting against inflammation. In practice, they have the ability to create a barrier that prevents transepidermal water loss. Emollients are described as degreasing or refreshing additives that improve the lipid content of the upper layers of the skin by preventing degreasing and drying of the skin. The problem with emollients is that many have a strong lipophilic character and are identified as occlusive ingredients; they are oily and fatty materials that remain on the skin surface and reduce transepidermal water loss. In cosmetics, emollients and moisturisers are often considered synonymous with humectants and occlusives.

Surfactant - Emulsifying agent. Emulsions are thermodynamically unstable and are used to soothe or soften the skin and emulsify, so they need a specific, stabilising ingredient. This ingredient forms a film, lowers the surface tension and makes two immiscible liquids miscible. A very important factor affecting the stability of the emulsion is the amount of the emulsifying agent. Emulsifiers have the property of reducing the oil/water or water/oil interfacial tension, improving the stability of the emulsion and also directly influencing the stability, sensory properties and surface tension of sunscreens by modulating the filmometric performance.

Surfactant - Cleansing agent. Cosmetic products used to cleanse the skin utilise the surface-active action that produces a lowering of the surface tension of the stratum corneum, facilitating the removal of dirt and impurities.

Skin conditioning agent. It is the mainstay of topical skin treatment as it has the function of restoring, increasing or improving skin tolerance to external factors, including melanocyte tolerance. The most important function of the conditioning agent is to prevent skin dehydration, but the subject is rather complex and involves emollients and humectants that can be added in the formulation.
Synonyms:

CAS: