Database/Emulsifying Surfactant/Laureth-7
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Laureth-7 natural?

Mostly not. Coconut-derived lauryl alcohol is natural; the seven ethylene-oxide units added to it are petrochemical and outweigh it.

INCI nameLaureth-7
CAS3055-97-8
FormulaC26H54O8 · 494.7 Da
FunctionEmulsifying Surfactant · Cleansing Surfactant
FeedstockMade by ethoxylating lauryl alcohol, typically from coconut…

How we scored it

Lauryl alcohol (C12 oleochemical, natural) 186 + 7x ethylene oxide (petrochemical) 308 -> 186/495 = 0.38
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 lauryl alcohol, typically from coconut oil, with seven units of petrochemical ethylene oxide. The longer ethoxylate chain makes this more petrochemical than shorter-chain laureths.

In plain English

A surfactant used in shampoos and cleansers to help remove oil and dirt. It starts from coconut-derived lauryl alcohol, but most of its weight is a synthetic ethylene oxide chain.

CosIng definition: Alcohols, C12-14, ethoxylated; Dodecan-1-ol, 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-7

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

PubChem CID 76459 ↗

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-7. PubChem CID 76459. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3LAURETH-7. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4LAURETH-7. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=LAURETH-7