Database/Cleansing/Laureth-23
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Laureth-23 natural?

Mostly not. Coconut/palm-kernel lauryl alcohol carries the natural mass; the 23 added ethylene-oxide units are petrochemical.

INCI nameLaureth-23
CAS9002-92-0
FunctionCleansing · Emulsifying Surfactant
FeedstockMade by ethoxylating oleochemical lauryl (dodecyl) alcohol, typically…

How we scored it

Lauryl alcohol C12H26O 186 Da (natural) + 23 x C2H4O ethylene oxide 1013 Da (petrochemical) = 1199 Da; 186/1199 = 0.16.
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

Made by ethoxylating oleochemical lauryl (dodecyl) alcohol, typically from coconut or palm kernel oil, with 23 moles of petrochemical ethylene oxide. The long EO chain dominates the final mass.

In plain English

A mild cleansing and emulsifying ingredient made by reacting coconut-derived lauryl alcohol with many units of ethylene oxide. Found in shampoos and cleansers. Most of its weight comes from the added ethylene oxide, not the coconut portion.

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

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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-23. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3LAURETH-23. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=LAURETH-23