Polysorbate is an emulsifier which finds its use in pharmaceuticals and food industry. In the cosmetic industry essential oils are solubilized for use in water based products. Polysorbitaes come in types of 20, 40, 60,65 & 80 where the numbers denote the fatty acid associated with the polyoxyethylene sorbitan component of the molecule.Lower numbers are hydrophilic & higher numbers are lipophilic.