Database/Cleansing/Laureth-3 Phosphate
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Laureth-3 Phosphate natural?

Mostly. Lauryl alcohol is oleochemical and the phosphate group is mineral-derived; only the three ethylene-oxide units are petrochemical.

INCI nameLaureth-3 Phosphate
CAS39464-66-9
FormulaC18H39O7P · 398.5 Da
FunctionCleansing · Cleansing Surfactant
FeedstockMade from coconut/palm-kernel-derived lauryl alcohol, ethoxylated with petrochemical…

How we scored it

Dodecanol (natural, oleochemical) 186 Da + 3x44 Da EO (petrochemical) 132 Da + phosphate (mineral, natural) 80 Da = 398 Da; 266/398=0.67.
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 from coconut/palm-kernel-derived lauryl alcohol, ethoxylated with petrochemical ethylene oxide, then phosphated. No alternative route.

In plain English

A gentle cleansing surfactant made from coconut-derived lauryl alcohol, ethoxylated and finished with a phosphate group. Used in facial cleansers for mild oil removal.

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

Natural alternatives with the same function

Structure

2D structure of Laureth-3 Phosphate

2-[2-(2-dodecoxyethoxy)ethoxy]ethyl dihydrogen phosphate

PubChem CID 104250 ↗

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-3 Phosphate. PubChem CID 104250. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3LAURETH-3 PHOSPHATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4LAURETH-3 PHOSPHATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=LAURETH-3%20PHOSPHATE