Reviewed as safe for cosmetic use by an independent safety panel
PEG-75 Shea Butter Glycerides Description
PEG-75 Shea Butter Glycerides is made by attaching roughly 75 units of polyethylene glycol to the natural glycerides found in shea butter, a process called ethoxylation. This modification changes shea butter's raw fatty structure into an ingredient that behaves as a skin conditioning agent and a mild surfactant, meaning it can both soften skin and help oil and water based ingredients blend together in a formula.
A safety review of this ingredient by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review panel, which evaluated clinical testing at concentrations including 1 percent, found no ocular or vulvovaginal irritation at the levels tested and concluded the ingredient is safe for use in cosmetics when formulated to be non irritating. Because ethoxylation is the same general manufacturing process used to make many PEG compounds, this ingredient carries a shared, general manufacturing consideration common to the wider PEG family rather than one specific to shea derived versions.
PEG-75 Shea Butter Glycerides References
Safety Assessment of PEGylated Alkyl Glycerides as Used in Cosmetics, Cosmetic Ingredient Review, 2014
1,4-Dioxane in Cosmetics: A Manufacturing Byproduct, U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Our team reviews ingredient research and uses up-to-date evidence to rate ingredients based on the categories below.
Best
Ingredients with the most rigorous and convincing evidence. These are the standouts backed by consistent findings across independent, peer reviewed clinical research.. When we call an ingredient Best, it has earned that distinction through genuine, reproducible proof that it improves skin.
Good
Reliable, well tolerated ingredients that do their job without complaint. They may not carry the headline benefits of a Best rated active, but they hydrate, stabilize a formula, or support the ingredients around them in ways that make a real difference in how a product performs and feels.
Average
Ingredients that are perfectly safe and serve a clear function, typically as an emollient, thickener, or filler, but do not offer any meaningful skin benefit beyond that basic job. Not a red flag, just not a reason to choose one product over another.
Bad/Worst
Ingredients with documented potential to irritate skin, disrupt the barrier, or trigger sensitization in some users, often synthetic fragrance, drying forms of alcohol, or certain essential oils. Not automatically a dealbreaker for every skin type, but worth knowing about before you commit to a product.
