How we scored it
Where it comes from
Made by ethoxylating cetyl alcohol, typically from coconut or palm kernel oil, with about 15 moles of petrochemical ethylene oxide. No natural-origin alternative to the ethoxylation step exists.
In plain English
Ceteth-15 is a wax-like emulsifier made by reacting cetyl alcohol (from coconut or palm oil) with a longer chain of ethylene oxide, a petroleum-derived building block. It's used as a cleansing and emulsifying ingredient.
CosIng definition: Poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl), .alpha.-hexadecyl-.omega.-hydroxy- (15 mol EO average molar ratio)
Natural alternatives with the same function
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C10-16 Alkyl Glucoside 100% natural originA 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 originA mild, sugar-based cleansing ingredient made from coconut or palm fatty alcohols and glucose; helps cleanse skin and…
C18-36 Acid 100% natural originA blend of long-chain plant fatty acids used as a mild cleanser and thickener, giving body and a…
References
- 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.
- 2CETETH-15. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
- 3CETETH-15. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=CETETH-15