Database/Cleansing/Laureth-4 Phosphate
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Laureth-4 Phosphate natural?

Mostly. Lauryl alcohol and the phosphate group are natural/mineral; the four ethylene-oxide units are petrochemical.

INCI nameLaureth-4 Phosphate
CAS39464-66-9
FormulaC14H33O6P · 328.38 Da
FunctionCleansing · Emulsifying Surfactant
FeedstockMade from coconut/palm kernel lauryl alcohol, ethoxylated with…

How we scored it

Using INCI name (4 EO; given formula represents a simplified 1-EO structure): lauryl 186.3 + phosphate-O 80.0 (natural) = 266.3; 4 EO 176.2 (petrochemical); 266.3/442.5 = 0.60
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 lauryl alcohol, ethoxylated with petrochemical ethylene oxide, then phosphorylated with mineral phosphoric acid.

In plain English

A mild cleansing and emulsifying ingredient made from coconut-derived fatty alcohol, a synthetic ethoxylation step, and mineral phosphate. Used in shampoos and cleansers.

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

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Structure

2D structure of Laureth-4 Phosphate

2-dodecoxyethanol;phosphoric acid

PubChem CID 93216 ↗

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-4 Phosphate. PubChem CID 93216. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3LAURETH-4 PHOSPHATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4LAURETH-4 PHOSPHATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=LAURETH-4%20PHOSPHATE