Database/Emulsifying Surfactant/Oleth-10
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Oleth-10 natural?

Mostly not. Oleyl alcohol comes from natural oleic acid/fats; the ten ethoxylate units are built from petrochemical ethylene oxide.

INCI nameOleth-10
CAS9004-98-2
FunctionEmulsifying Surfactant · Cleansing Surfactant
FeedstockOleth-10 is made by reacting oleyl alcohol, typically…

How we scored it

Oleyl alcohol C18H36O 268.5 Da (natural) + 10 ethylene oxide units 10x44.05=440.5 Da (petrochemical). 268.5/709.0=0.38.
What counts. ISO 16128-2 scores the atoms that remain in the final ingredient. Reagents, solvents, catalysts and protecting groups used during manufacture leave no mass behind and are not counted.

Where it comes from

Oleth-10 is made by reacting oleyl alcohol, typically derived from vegetable or animal oleic acid, with ten moles of ethylene oxide from petrochemical steam-cracking. A minority of oleyl alcohol supply could originate from synthetic routes, but oleochemical sourcing dominates.

In plain English

An emulsifier and cleanser made by combining a fatty alcohol from plant or animal fat with a petroleum-derived chemical (ethylene oxide) to make it water-soluble. Roughly a third of its weight traces back to natural fat.

CosIng definition: Poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl), .alpha.-9-(Z)-octadecenyl-.omega.-hydroxy (10 mol EO average molar ratio)

Natural alternatives with the same function

Arachidic Acid 100% natural origin

A waxy fatty acid from peanut and other vegetable oils, used to thicken formulas and give creams and…

 Arachidyl Glucoside 100% natural origin

A gentle, sugar-based emulsifier used in creams and lotions to stabilize formulas without harsh surfactants. It's made from…

 Behenic Acid 100% natural origin

A long-chain fatty acid from vegetable oil, used to thicken and stabilise creams and conditioners. It is extracted…

 C10-16 Alkyl Glucoside 100% natural origin

A mild, sugar-based cleansing and emulsifying surfactant made by combining plant-derived fatty alcohols (coconut/palm) with glucose from starch.…

 C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside 100% natural origin

A mild, sugar-based cleansing ingredient made from coconut or palm fatty alcohols and glucose; helps cleanse skin and…

 C18-36 Acid 100% natural origin

A blend of long-chain plant fatty acids used as a mild cleanser and thickener, giving body and a…

References

  1. 1ISO 16128-1:2016 and ISO 16128-2:2017 — Guidelines on technical definitions and criteria for natural and organic cosmetic ingredients and products. ISO, Geneva.
  2. 2OLETH-10. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3OLETH-10. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=OLETH-10