Span™ 85 is a liquid sorbitan trioleate for use in skin care, hair care, toiletries and decorative cosmetics. It is part of a broad range of ester materials including sorbitan esters, mono and diglycerides, and polyoxyethylene sorbitol esters. These nonionic surfactants can function as emulsifiers, detergents, spreading or dispersing agents. It finds wide use in the personal care industry. They offer many advantages over ionic surfactants such as soaps, including increased stability, formulating flexibility and wider compatibility.