Database/Cleansing/Laneth-20
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Laneth-20 natural?

Mostly not. Natural lanolin-alcohol fraction is increasingly diluted as more petrochemical ethylene oxide is added than in Laneth-10.

INCI nameLaneth-20
CAS61791-20-6
FunctionCleansing · Emulsifying Surfactant
FeedstockLaneth-20 is the alcohol fraction of lanolin reacted…

How we scored it

Lanolin alcohols (natural, assumed MW~390) + 20 mol ethylene oxide (petrochemical, 20x44.05=881 Da) → 390/1271 = 0.31
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

Laneth-20 is the alcohol fraction of lanolin reacted with about 20 moles of petrochemical ethylene oxide, more than Laneth-10, so a larger share of the final mass is petrochemical.

In plain English

A cleansing and emulsifying ingredient from sheep's-wool-derived alcohols, modified with more petroleum-derived chemical than Laneth-10 to boost water solubility.

CosIng definition: Alcohols, lanolin, ethoxylated

Natural alternatives with the same function

Achillea Millefolium Extract 100% natural origin

An extract from yarrow, a traditional herb, used to refresh and condition skin and help control oiliness. It's…

 Achillea Millefolium Oil 100% natural origin

An essential oil steam-distilled from yarrow flowers, used for its scent and soothing, cleansing properties. It comes directly…

 Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide 100% natural origin

A short chain of glucose sugar units made by fermenting sucrose with a bacterial enzyme. Used to cleanse,…

 Arachidic Acid 100% natural origin

A waxy fatty acid from peanut and other vegetable oils, used to thicken formulas and give creams and…

 Babassu Acid 100% natural origin

A blend of fatty acids from babassu palm seed oil, used to cleanse and help stabilise the texture…

 Behenic Acid 100% natural origin

A long-chain fatty acid from vegetable oil, used to thicken and stabilise creams and conditioners. It is extracted…

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