Esters: Polysorbates

Yep, polysorbates – like polysorbate 20 and 80 – are esters! They’re ethoxylated sorbitan esters, which means they start off as sorbitan and are esterified, then they are reacted with ethylene oxide to create a non-ionic surfactant with a water loving head and lipophilic tail. You might find them as “tween 20” or “tween 80”,…