How we scored it
Where it comes from
Dominant commercial route ethoxylates coconut- or palm-kernel-derived lauryl alcohol with petrochemical ethylene oxide. A minority of lauryl alcohol supply is synthetic (Ziegler/oxo process); if that source were used, NOI would fall to 0.0.
In plain English
A mild cleansing and emulsifying surfactant made by reacting coconut- or palm-derived lauryl alcohol with ethylene oxide, a petrochemical. Helps products foam and helps water and oil mix.
CosIng definition: Poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl), .alpha.-dodecyl-.omega.-hydroxy-
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References
- 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.
- 2LAURETH-16. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
- 3LAURETH-16. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=LAURETH-16