Polysorbates Good Cleansing Agent No known benefits Polysorbates description Large group of ingredients (including the common polysorbate 20) most often derived from lauric acid, which is derived from coconuts. Polysorbates function as emulsifiers and also have mild surfactant properties; some polysorbates are derived from the food ingredient sorbitol, which occurs naturally in many fruits, while others have a fatty acid component. Polysorbates are considered non-toxic and safe as used in the concentrations found in cosmetics and food products (in food products, polysorbates function as stabilizers).