Database/Cleansing/Laureth-25
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Laureth-25 natural?

Mostly not. The lauryl chain is natural, but with 25 ethylene-oxide units the petrochemical portion dominates the molecule's mass.

INCI nameLaureth-25
CAS9002-92-0
FunctionCleansing · Emulsifying Surfactant
FeedstockMade by ethoxylating coconut- or palm-kernel-derived lauryl alcohol…

How we scored it

Lauryl (natural, 185.3 Da) + 25x ethylene oxide (petrochemical, 1101.3 Da) -> 185.3/1287.6=0.14.
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 coconut- or palm-kernel-derived lauryl alcohol with 25 units of petrochemical ethylene oxide. The long EO chain far outweighs the natural lauryl portion.

In plain English

A cleansing and emulsifying ingredient made from coconut-derived lauryl alcohol reacted with a long chain of ethylene oxide. It helps oil and water blend together in cleansers.

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-25. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3LAURETH-25. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=LAURETH-25