Database/Emulsifying Surfactant/Laureth-20
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Laureth-20 natural?

Mostly not. Lauryl alcohol chain is coconut/palm-kernel oleochemical; the 20 mol ethylene oxide chain is petrochemical and makes up most of the mass.

INCI nameLaureth-20
CAS9002-92-0
FunctionEmulsifying Surfactant · Cleansing Surfactant
FeedstockLauryl alcohol usually derives from coconut or palm…

How we scored it

Lauryl alcohol C12H26O 186 Da (natural) + 20 EO x44=881 Da (petro); 186/1067=0.17
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 usually derives from coconut or palm kernel oil, then is ethoxylated with 20 mol petrochemical ethylene oxide.

In plain English

A cleansing and emulsifying ingredient made by combining a coconut- or palm-derived fatty alcohol with ethylene oxide, a petroleum-based building block.

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

Natural alternatives with the same function

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 Behenic Acid 100% natural origin

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 C10-16 Alkyl Glucoside 100% natural origin

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 C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside 100% natural origin

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 C18-36 Acid 100% natural origin

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