Database/Cleansing/Disodium Laureth-7 Citrate
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Disodium Laureth-7 Citrate natural?

Mostly. Lauryl alcohol comes from coconut or palm kernel oil, the citrate from fermented citric acid with sodium counter-ions; the seven ethylene oxide units are petrochemical.

INCI nameDisodium Laureth-7 Citrate
FunctionCleansing · Emulsifying Surfactant
FeedstockDominant route: oleochemical lauryl alcohol is ethoxylated with…

How we scored it

Natural: lauryl C12H25O 185 + citrate C6H5Na2O6 219 = 404 Da; petrochemical: 7 EO units C2H4O 308 Da; total 713; 404/713 = 0.57.
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

Dominant route: oleochemical lauryl alcohol is ethoxylated with seven moles of ethylene oxide, esterified with citric acid (fermentation) and neutralised with sodium hydroxide. Supplier note: synthetic lauryl alcohol is possible but uncommon.

In plain English

A cleansing and emulsifying ingredient: a coconut-derived fatty alcohol chain, extended with a short ethylene-oxide spacer and attached to citric acid as its sodium salt. It helps oils and water mix and helps products foam and clean.

CosIng definition: Dodecanol, ethoxylated, monoester with 2-hydroxy-1,2,3-propanetricarboxylic acid, disodium salts (7 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 LAURETH-7 CITRATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3DISODIUM LAURETH-7 CITRATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=DISODIUM%20LAURETH-7%20CITRATE