Database/Emulsifying Surfactant/Laureth-6
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Laureth-6 natural?

Mostly not. Lauryl chain from coconut/palm oil is natural; the six ethoxylate units are made from petrochemical ethylene oxide.

INCI nameLaureth-6
CAS3055-96-7
FormulaC24H50O7 · 450.6 Da
FunctionEmulsifying Surfactant · Cleansing Surfactant
FeedstockDodecanol (lauryl alcohol) for cosmetic-grade Laureth-6 is typically…

How we scored it

Dodecanol natural fragment C12H25O 185.3 Da / total C24H50O7 450.6 Da = 0.41; remainder is 6 EO petrochemical chain (265.3 Da).
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

Dodecanol (lauryl alcohol) for cosmetic-grade Laureth-6 is typically oleochemical, from coconut or palm kernel oil. It is ethoxylated with petrochemical ethylene oxide to form the surfactant.

In plain English

A cleansing and emulsifying ingredient made by reacting a coconut/palm-derived fatty alcohol with ethylene oxide. It helps water and oil mix together in cleansers and lotions.

CosIng definition: Alcohols, C12-14, ethoxylated

Natural alternatives with the same function

Arachidic Acid 100% natural origin

A waxy fatty acid from peanut and other vegetable oils, used to thicken formulas and give creams and…

 Arachidyl Glucoside 100% natural origin

A gentle, sugar-based emulsifier used in creams and lotions to stabilize formulas without harsh surfactants. It's made from…

 Behenic Acid 100% natural origin

A long-chain fatty acid from vegetable oil, used to thicken and stabilise creams and conditioners. It is extracted…

 C10-16 Alkyl Glucoside 100% natural origin

A mild, sugar-based cleansing and emulsifying surfactant made by combining plant-derived fatty alcohols (coconut/palm) with glucose from starch.…

 C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside 100% natural origin

A mild, sugar-based cleansing ingredient made from coconut or palm fatty alcohols and glucose; helps cleanse skin and…

 C18-36 Acid 100% natural origin

A blend of long-chain plant fatty acids used as a mild cleanser and thickener, giving body and a…

Structure

2D structure of Laureth-6

2-[2-[2-[2-[2-(2-dodecoxyethoxy)ethoxy]ethoxy]ethoxy]ethoxy]ethanol

PubChem CID 18282 ↗

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-6. PubChem CID 18282. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3LAURETH-6. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4LAURETH-6. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=LAURETH-6