Database/Cleansing/Ammonium Laureth Sulfate
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Ammonium Laureth Sulfate natural?

Mostly. Lauryl alcohol and sulfate are natural; the ~2.5 ethoxylate units and the ammonium ion are both petrochemical-sourced.

INCI nameAmmonium Laureth Sulfate
CAS32612-48-9
FormulaC14H33NO5S · 327.48 Da
FunctionCleansing · Foaming
FeedstockLauryl alcohol ethoxylated with an average 1-4 moles…

How we scored it

Lauryl-O 185.3 Da + SO3 80.1 Da = 265.4 Da (natural) vs ~2.5 EO 110.1 Da + NH4 18.0 Da = 128.2 Da (petrochemical). 265.4/393.6=0.67.
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

Lauryl alcohol ethoxylated with an average 1-4 moles of petrochemical ethylene oxide, then sulfated and neutralised with ammonia rather than sodium. Both the EO chain and the ammonium ion are treated as non-natural.

In plain English

A milder foaming cleanser made from coconut-derived lauryl alcohol reacted with ethylene oxide, then sulfated and paired with an ammonium ion. Common in shampoos and washes.

CosIng definition: Dodecan-1-ol, ethoxylated, sulfates, ammonium salts, 1-4 mol EO (average molar ratio)

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Structure

2D structure of Ammonium Laureth Sulfate

azane;2-dodecoxyethyl hydrogen sulfate

PubChem CID 61913 ↗

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. 2Ammonium Laureth Sulfate. PubChem CID 61913. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3AMMONIUM LAURETH SULFATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4AMMONIUM LAURETH SULFATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=AMMONIUM%20LAURETH%20SULFATE