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

Is Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate natural?

Mostly. Lauryl alcohol and sulfate are natural; the ammonium counter-ion is conventionally sourced from petrochemical natural-gas ammonia.

INCI nameAmmonium Lauryl Sulfate
CAS2235-54-3
FormulaC12H29NO4S · 283.43 Da
FunctionCleansing · Foaming
FeedstockSulfate ester of coconut/palm-kernel-derived lauryl alcohol, neutralised with…

How we scored it

Lauryl sulfate anion C12H25O4S 265.4 Da (natural: lauryl oleochemical + sulfate mineral) + NH4 18.0 Da (petrochemical, synthetic ammonia). 265.4/283.4=0.94.
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.

How it’s made

SO₃ sulfation of lauryl alcohol, then ammonia neutralisation. Each curved arrow moves one electron pair, and the film ends on the score above.

Where it comes from

Sulfate ester of coconut/palm-kernel-derived lauryl alcohol, neutralised with ammonia rather than sodium. Ammonia is made from natural gas by the Haber-Bosch process, so the counter-ion is treated as non-natural.

In plain English

A foaming cleanser made from coconut or palm-kernel-derived lauryl alcohol, sulfated and paired with an ammonium ion. It is a common surfactant base in shampoos and body washes.

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Structure

2D structure of Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate

azanium dodecyl sulfate

PubChem CID 16700 ↗

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 Lauryl Sulfate. PubChem CID 16700. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3AMMONIUM LAURYL SULFATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4AMMONIUM LAURYL SULFATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=AMMONIUM%20LAURYL%20SULFATE