Database/Emulsifying Surfactant/Deceth-4
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Deceth-4 natural?

Mostly not. Decyl alcohol is a natural fatty alcohol; the 4 ethylene-oxide units, per the stated EO ratio, are petrochemical.

INCI nameDeceth-4
CAS26183-52-8
FunctionEmulsifying Surfactant · Cleansing Surfactant
FeedstockDecanol, typically from coconut/palm-kernel oleochemistry, is ethoxylated with…

How we scored it

Decanol C10H22O 158.3 Da (natural) + 4 EO 176.2 Da (petrochemical) = 334.5 Da; 158.3/334.5 = 0.47. Given formula/MW/IUPAC actually match Deceth-1 (1 EO); recomputed from the stated 4 mol EO description.
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

Decanol, typically from coconut/palm-kernel oleochemistry, is ethoxylated with about 4 moles of petrochemical ethylene oxide. The supplied formula/MW/IUPAC in this record describe the 1-EO homolog, not the stated 4 EO, so the value was computed independently.

In plain English

A cleansing and emulsifying ingredient made from coconut-derived decyl alcohol reacted with ethylene oxide, a petroleum-based building block. Used in cleansers to help remove oil and dirt.

CosIng definition: Decanol, ethoxylated (4 mol EO average molar ratio)

Natural alternatives with the same function

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. 2DECETH-4. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3DECETH-4. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=DECETH-4