Database/Cleansing/Disodium Cocamido PEG-3 Sulfosuccinate
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Disodium Cocamido PEG-3 Sulfosuccinate natural?

Mostly. Coconut fatty acid supplies the amide; the PEG-3 ethoxylate chain and succinate backbone are petrochemical, while sulfonate/sodium count as natural minerals.

INCI nameDisodium Cocamido PEG-3 Sulfosuccinate
FunctionCleansing · Foaming
FeedstockCoconut fatty acid is amidated to a PEG-3…

How we scored it

No formula given; cocoacyl (natural) ~183 Da + SO3+2Na (mineral, natural) ~126 Da =~309 Da vs PEG-3 chain+succinate backbone (petrochemical) ~246 Da -> ~0.55 (estimated).
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

Coconut fatty acid is amidated to a PEG-3 amine (from petrochemical ethylene oxide), then reacted with maleic anhydride and sodium bisulfite to form the sulfosuccinate. The 3-mole ethoxylation is a significant petrochemical addition.

In plain English

A mild, foam-boosting cleansing surfactant made from coconut fatty acids combined with petrochemical polyethylene glycol (PEG-3) and a sulfosuccinate group, neutralized with sodium.

CosIng definition: Poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl), .alpha.-3-carboxy-1-oxo-2-sulfopropyl-.omega.-amino-, N-cocoacyl derivatives, disodium salts (3 mol EO average molar ratio)

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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. 2DISODIUM COCAMIDO PEG-3 SULFOSUCCINATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3DISODIUM COCAMIDO PEG-3 SULFOSUCCINATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=DISODIUM%20COCAMIDO%20PEG-3%20SULFOSUCCINATE