Database/Emulsifying Surfactant/Laureth-14
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Laureth-14 natural?

Mostly not. Lauryl alcohol from coconut/palm kernel oil is ethoxylated with 14 mol of petrochemical ethylene oxide.

INCI nameLaureth-14
CAS9002-92-0
FunctionEmulsifying Surfactant · Cleansing Surfactant
FeedstockLauryl alcohol from coconut or palm kernel oil,…

How we scored it

Lauryl alcohol 186.33 Da (natural) + 14x ethylene oxide 616.7 Da (petrochemical) = 186.33/803.03 = 0.23
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

Lauryl alcohol from coconut or palm kernel oil, reacted with petrochemical ethylene oxide. Single dominant commercial route.

In plain English

An emulsifying and cleansing surfactant made from coconut-derived lauryl alcohol reacted with 14 units of ethylene oxide.

CosIng definition: Poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl), .alpha.-dodecyl-.omega.-hydroxy-

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. 2LAURETH-14. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3LAURETH-14. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=LAURETH-14