Last Updated on March 21, 2025 by Giorgia Guazzarotti
You know that moment when you’re reading the back of your cleanser and suddenly hit a name like PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil? Yeah… same. It sounds intense, but it pops up in so many skincare products that it’s worth knowing what it actually does.
So what is PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil? It must have something to do with castor oil, right? But what does it do exactly and, more importantly, is it safe? Here’s what science says:
- What Is PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil?
- What Does PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil Do In Skincare Products?
- What Are The Best Skincare Products With PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil?
- Is PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil Safe In Skincare Products?
- Is PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil Vegan?
- Can You Be Allergic To PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil?
- The Bottom Line
What Is PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil?
You’ve probably guessed it from the name. PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil is derived from… well, castor oil.
What does it look like? It’s a white, lard-like paste. It’s made by mixing hydrogenated castor oil with ethylene oxide (sounds intense, I know). It’s part of a big family of ingredients called polyethylene glycols (that’s where the “PEG” comes from).
All that does is make the oil more water-friendly so it actually blends into your skincare instead of floating around like salad dressing.
It’s what’s called a non-ionic surfactant. Basically, a fancy way of saying it’s gentle and won’t mess with your skin barrier. That’s why it shows up in everything from micellar waters to toners to those dreamy first-step cleansers. You’ll even spot it in shampoo and makeup remover, quietly doing its thing.
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What Does PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil Do In Skincare Products?
PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil has three jobs in skincare products:
- Surfactant: That’s a fancy way of calling a cleansing agent. It helps water mix with oil and dirt so that they can be rinsed away, leaving skin and hair both clean and soft. For people with sensitive skin, it’s a gentler alternative to stronger surfactants. It does the cleaning without over-drying or messing with your skin’s natural oils.
- Emulsifier: Who wants their face mist to look like an oil slick floating in water? This ingredient allows the watery and oily parts of a formula to mix together, preventing the texture from separating into two layers.
- Solubizing agent: It helps other ingredients to dissolve in a solvent in which they wouldn’t normally dissolve. For example, it’s used to add fragrances (which typically dissolve in oils) into water-based products. So if you love a product that smells amazing and applies evenly, PEG-60 probably had something to do with it.
What Are The Best Skincare Products With PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil?
- Cosrx Low pH First Cleansing Milk Gel ($19.00): A gentle cleanser for oily skin that removes excess oil without stripping it of its natural moisture. Available at Look Fantastic, SokoGlam, Ulta and Yes Style
- La Roche Posay Lipikar Oil Ap+ (£10.50): A moisturising cleansing oil for dry and sensitive skin. Available at Boots
- Mizon Hyaluronic Acid 100 (£23.03): A hydrating serum that plumps up fine lines and wrinkles. Available at Stylevana and Yes Style
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Is PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil Safe In Skincare Products?
PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil is usually used in concentrations between 0,5% and 10%. In these small amounts, it’s considered to be safe.
And yep, it’s been properly looked at. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review panel (aka the people who check whether skincare stuff is actually safe) have given it the green light. No signs of irritation or reactions when it’s used in normal skincare doses.
It’s also non-comedogenic, which is just a fancy way of saying it won’t clog your pores. So if you’re acne-prone or constantly battling blackheads, it’s not the enemy.
Now, quick side note because you might’ve heard some noise online about PEGs being “toxic” or “dangerous.” That’s mostly about contamination concerns with two specific chemicals (ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxane). But before you panic, know this: cosmetic-grade PEGs go through a purification process that gets rid of all that stuff. Reputable brands aren’t putting dodgy ingredients in your face cream.
Unless you’re going full clean-beauty and cutting out all PEGs (which is totally your call), there’s no real reason to stress about this one.
Is PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil Vegan?
Good question – and yes, it typically is! It’s derived from castor oil (a plant-based ingredient). Just make sure the rest of the formula is too. Sometimes brands add all kinds of ingredients to a product – and some of them may not be vegan. And of course, brands who sell in China use this ingredient too. Do your due diligence.
Can You Be Allergic To PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil?
It’s pretty rare, but hey, everyone’s skin is different. If you’ve got a history of sensitivities to surfactants or emulsifiers, do a patch test first. There are people who are allergic to water too, so better be safe than sorry, know what I mean?
The Bottom Line
PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil is a gentle cleansing agent that also make sure your products don’t separate in the bottle. It’s both effective and safe.
It’s one of those low-key hero ingredients that helps your skincare look better, feel better, and work better, without drawing much attention to itself. So next time you’re reading an ingredient label and spot PEG-60, you’ll know exactly why it’s there (and that it’s pulling more weight than you think).
I see this one a lot. I didn’t know it’s a white paste though, and I can definitely remember this one. :]
I learn something useful everyday from you!
Janessa, it’s widely used indeed. And I’m glad you do. 🙂
Happy first day of December, Gio! Even though it’s the 2nd where you are, it’s still the 1st where I am so well, happy beginning of December!
Janessa, thank you! Happy beginning of December to you too! 🙂
Thanks for sharing! I see Hydrogenated Castor Oil everywhere and I thought it was supposed to be hydrating, not cleansing. I’m a tiny bit smarter thanks to you 🙂
Regn, you’re welcome. I’m glad you’ve found it informative.
Just few days back I was wondering about PEG 40 hydrogenated castor oil. I’ve read that word loads of times in my serums and other skin care products, but was not aware about its work. But this PEG 60 one, is it found in shampoos or facial cleansers?
Shruti, it can be found in facial cleansers and shampoos too.
I’ve also written a post about PEG 40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil. You can read it here, if you’re interested: http://beautifulwithbrains.com/2012/08/04/know-your-ingredients-peg-40-hydrogenated-castor-oil/ 🙂
Yes, I already read that before posting my last comment. 🙂 That’s how I came to know about their difference. Earlier I never used to read ingredients. But, now whenever I read something new on my products, I came here to check about it. In ingredients series, your post about Acetone has been THE most helpful information for me. Really.. now I have just stopped worrying about acetone and non-acetone stuff. 😉
Shruti, I’m so glad you find this series helpful. It makes all my hard work worthwhile. 🙂
Thanks for enlightening us. I would like to know what does peg/ ppg 17/6 do in skin as well? Since I found it on a skin cream.
Queenie, you’re welcome. And that’s an emollient. It makes skin soft and smooth.
Does it have side effects? Since peg and ppg thingers are not quute good I heard.
Queenie, it is safe, although potentially every ingredient, this one included, could cause an allergy or irritation in some individuals.
PEGs aren’t as dangerous as they are claimed to be, though. Check out this link for more information: http://www.truthinaging.com/review/what-is-it-pegs
Very good article. Thanks Gio. I wanna know if pegs ppgs can make me get more wrinkles. Sometimes we use skincare products that promise us to reduce our wrinkles. They DO contain good ingredients but they do not really seem to be effective as they said cos they use mineral oils or peg ppg compounds in their products, so its like curing on onebhand but also defective on the other hand.
Frankly, I’ve never heard of pegs or ppgs causing wrinkles. And neither does mineral oil. Some people don’t like it because it creates a barrier on the skin rather than sinking into it, but that’s not necessarily bad for you. If you have dry skin, this barrier will prevent water from evaporating, and helping to keep skin hydrated. But yeah, it’s not as beneficial as retinoids or vitamins, which can do wonders for the skin.
very informative, one more thing I wanted to know, Does this ingredient stimulate facial hair growth?
Farhana, no it doesn’t.
what if we use more than 0.5% or 10%? is there any side effect? makes the skin dry perhaps?
Ira, you can use up to 10% safely, but after that it may be irritating. More is rarely better in skincare.
What is the effect of PEG-60 HYDROGENATED CASTOR OIL on acre-prone skin types? Does it cause more acne?
Joveylove, this ingredient isn’t considered comedogenic. Having said that, everyone’s skin is different. If you find your skin doesn’t like it, don’t use it.